Thunder Roster Crunch: Ty Jerome

Ty Jerome is looking to conclude his rookie-scale contract with the Thunder.

The Oklahoma City Thunder near August carrying 18 players on standard contracts, two two-way signees, and a pair of Exhibit-10 signees. With the league maximum for training camp set at 20 players and the final standard roster capping at 15 – the Oklahoma City Thunder will need to make some transactions.

While the Thunder made some strides earlier in July, waiving Isaiah Roby and JaMychal Green, Sam Presti and company will need to make some tough calls surrounding the roster.

With a bevy of potential rotational pathways, let’s break down Theo Maledon, who will be looking to make the final 15-man roster.

Bio:

After being selected 32nd in the 2020 NBA Draft, Theo Maledon looked to be a gem selection for the Thunder. As a rookie, Maledon posted averages of 10.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists while leading the team in minutes (1778).

The 21-year-old saw a stark slice in minutes last season, playing between the Oklahoma City Blue, the team’s G League Affiliate and the end of the Thunder’s rotation. Across 51 games, Maledon averaged 7.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

Contract:

Maledon is entering year three of his rookie-scale contract. He is guaranteed $1.9 million for the upcoming season, carrying a team option for the 2023-24 season.

Selling Points:

Theo Maledon entered last season as the presumptive sixth man. As the Thunder’s minute leader as a rookie, the guard showed flashes of being a nifty passer in the backcourt who could pick apart defenses playing off high-ball screens. The Frenchman showed all the makings of a second-round gem with his smart on-ball play but also his shades of functioning as an off-ball piece with last year’s incoming talent.

Due to Maledon losing out on rotational battles with Tre Mann and Ty Jerome, he spent portions of the season in the NBA G League. In six regular-season games, he starred, averaging 23.3 points and 5.3 steals across a 13-of-37 (41.7%) clip from distance.

Simply put, the minutes weren’t available for Maledon last season. However, if the Thunder are still looking to develop guard prospects – the 21-year-old still possesses some untapped potential.

Sell-Off Points:

While Maledon undoubtedly has shown flashes as a playmaker, the Thunder’s needs have significantly altered in the last two seasons. When Maledon was selected, Oklahoma City’s backup point guard was George Hill, and even then, there was no long-term one outside of SGA. Now, the Thunder are overloaded on guard talent, particularly on-ball.

With Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Tre Mann handling large on-ball positions with the current Thunder squad, Maledon’s on-ball skill has been put on the backburner in most rotations – being shuffled to a secondary ball-handling role at the wing. To this point in his career, he hasn’t proven himself from this aspect.

There’s an NBA-caliber player in Theo Maledon. However, the Thunder’s abundance of ball-handling guards makes him a tight fit, especially when his back-end rotation role may not fetch consistent minutes.

If the Thunder are keen on a set off-ball role for their final guard spot, Maledon may be on the outside looking in.

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