Should the OKC Thunder Start Sunsetting the Summer League Roster?
The Oklahoma City Thunder have garnered more national television slots in one week than they have in close to two years. These national glimpses have come as deserving as ever.
Since Sam Presti completely shuffled the deck two offseasons ago, the Thunder have slowly but surely crafted the new-era blueprint for the roster. With the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and Tre Mann, among others, headed into draft day – Oklahoma City had some spots to plug. In the draft, they hit some home runs, adding a potential cornerstone in Chet Holmgren, Ousmane Dieng, Jalen Williams, and Jaylin Williams.
Through five Summer League appearances across Utah and Las Vegas, the Thunder have established themselves as one of the brighter young teams looking to breakout in year three of their rebuilding terms. Across these stints, the Thunder have not held back, playing a bevy of their lottery selections and returning core from last season.
There’s a clear upside to how Oklahoma City has utilized the Summer League. While most teams have veered away from playing their second-year studs, the Thunder have played Josh Giddey in all five of the team’s Summer League contests. In these games, the 19-year-old has tacked on valuable reps with No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren in addition to the whole roster. There’s no doubt this experience has helped form some synergy within the roster. In fact, he’s stated his desire to compete in these Summer League games.
Josh Giddey has averaged 12.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 9.0 assists across five Summer League games.
Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports
However, there’s another side to the coin to the Summer League rotation.
Leading into Monday night, the spotlight glimmered on the Thunder’s date versus the Orlando Magic. With No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero duking it out with No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren – fireworks were bound to be included. However, that scenario panned out. Instead, the Magic pulled out Banchero and third-year guard R.J. Hampton to explore the roster.
While the Magic initially received backlash for their decision in benching their star, they’ve shifted into another side of the roster evaluation game, and it’s just as valuable. As Chet Holmgren rolled over the Magic for a double-double, Orlando countered with Emanuel Terry. As Josh Giddey neared a triple-double, Magic guard Zavier Simpson dislodged the ball five times.
Monday night was a G League showcase for the Orlando Magic – and they may just be ahead of the curve.
The Oklahoma City Thunder do not have your run-of-the-mill Summer League team. While most franchises enter the Summer League with a few rookies, a couple of second-year players and some G League veterans, the Thunder’s Vegas roster includes 12 players on guaranteed contracts. That’s a full rotation, and even then some, of guaranteed salary.
If anything, this is a testament to just how youthful and potential-filled the Thunder roster is. On the other side, this also means some of your guaranteed players have hardly touched the floor, and for those non-guaranteed – finding on-court reps has been bumpy to say the least.
Gabe Brown, one of the Thunder's Exhbit-10 signees, has played 18 minutes in Summer League.
Ken Ruinard / USA Today
There are two major factors in addressing the Summer League. Franchises can tap the most out of their rookies and second-year pieces alike, or they can dip into the undrafted pool or G League in hopes of panning some gems. The Oklahoma City Thunder have followed the first option in assessing the current core, and given the circumstances, it’s hard to complain. However, even with incoming talent, most teams don’t field 10+ guaranteed players on their roster – meaning those who aren’t on contracts – still get a platform with on-court reps.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have prided themselves upon their development system placed within the Oklahoma City Blue, the franchise’s G League affiliate. For four consecutive seasons, the Blue have churned out Thunder players inked to multi-year contracts. In virtually all cases, these call-ups have been a direct result of G League play, not Summer League efforts. But, that doesn’t mean Summer League stints haven’t made an impact.
Last season, Rob Edwards joined the Thunder’s Summer League after a full year with the Blue. In his Vegas tenure, he played the team’s best scoring outputs, dropping 23 points on two occasions. He made the Thunder’s training camp last season.
Rob Edwards was a top scorer in last year's Las Vegas Summer League.
There are a few levels to Oklahoma City’s Summer League rotation. There are returning players such as Giddey, Mann, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Aaron Wiggins who had a strong foothold in the rotation last season. Behind them, you have returning players who had up-and-down runs, such as Lindy Waters III and Vit Krejci. Oklahoma City’s four drafted rookies form a level of their own as well.
However, the Thunder have a bevy of unsigned players who have hardly placed minutes. Across the quintet of Gabe Brown, Jaden Shackelford, Rob Baker, Abdul Gaddy, and Kevin Kangu – they’ve played a collective 19 minutes. Brown has played in 18 of those.
The Thunder aren’t in dire need of new faces to the roster. With 19 players on roster and both two-way contracts filled, the organization will need to shed guaranteed money in the coming months. But, in playing these incoming prospects, they will have a much greater gauge on how they’d slot in the G League. On the surface, this is minimal. Though, all three of the Thunder’s mid-season two-way signees in Melvin Frazier Jr., Lindy Waters III, and Olivier Sarr all stemmed from G League contracts.
While the national media may not enjoy it, the Thunder sunsetting players in the “first-level” in Giddey, Mann, Robinson-Earl, and Wiggins would open big-time minutes to evaluate rookies in on-ball roles, hand Krejci and Waters III longer reps, and finally, tap into their chest of unsigned talent.
There’s no right or wrong answer to how the Thunder handle this year’s Summer League rotation. In the team’s current state, the tandem of Giddey and Holmgren is undeniable. But, rolling in those curtains may just open another big-time act – the closing roster.
Want to join the discussion? Like SI Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
