Thunder Forward Darius Bazley Controls Destiny For New Contract

Darius Bazley has a lot of eyes on him this season.

There are multiple reasons. The biggest being it’s a contract year for the young Thunder forward.

The 22-year-old has completed three of his four years on his current contract. This season, he’s owed a little over $4 million.

After this season, however, he’s slated to be a restricted free agent with a qualifying offer worth more than $6 million.

Bazley has been through some highs and lows during his three seasons in OKC.

He’s played in 185 games while starting 117 for the Thunder in his three seasons. Last season was more turbulent for him than year two with his move to a bench role.

In the 2020-21 season, he started all 55 games he played in. Last season, he started in 53 of the 69 games he appeared in.

Some of his numbers took a dip, as would be expected in the role switch. However, to earn a new contract, Bazley may need to play more like his second-season self to earn an extension.

Bazley shot 42.2% from the field last season, his best clip of his career. His 3-point shot hasn't developed too much in his career. In his rookie season, he posted a 34.8% clip from beyond the arc, and that number has dropped since. Last season, he shot 29.7% from 3-point range on just under four attempts per game.

A major plus to his game is his rebounding ability; he averages 5.8 for his career and logged 6.3 per game last season, including one per game offensively, the most in his career.

While the offensive rebounding number doesn’t seem huge, any offensive rebounding helps for a Thunder team looking for any way to grab the advantage over more veteran teams.

Bazley also helps on the defensive end. His long arms and frame helped him notch a career high with blocks and steals per game. He posted a block and 0.8 steals per game last season.

If he can keep producing those numbers or even approve those numbers, his fight for a new contract could be made easier.

If Bazley can continue averaging 10-14 points per game, while continuing to improve his field goal percentage and grab 5-7 rebounds per game, he could earn his way into a new contract for the future.

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