Thunder Transaction: Gabriel Deck Waived to Create Roster Spot

Gabriel Deck’s time in Oklahoma City has officially come to an end.

One of the more mysterious storylines following the Oklahoma City Thunder over the past year has been the experiment with forward Gabriel Deck. A player that saw success overseas, he was brought over to the NBA by the Thunder last season at age 25.

For a rebuilding team, this seemed like a strange move at the time. Deck was ultimately given a four-year, $14.5 million deal to come to Oklahoma City, leaving Real Madrid in Spain behind.

This experiment didn’t last long, as he was waived by the Thunder on Tuesday as part of a larger move in which OKC received a future second-round luck from the Utah Jazz and guard Miye Oni.

Over the course of a year, Deck ultimately played for the Thunder at the very end of the 2020-21 season and beginning of the 2021-22 season. During this stretch, he played in just 17 games while averaging 6.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 15.8 minutes per game.

After a fairly heavy role in OKC last season, Deck saw a slash in action this season. He played a total of 56 minutes in the 2021-22 season, producing just 18 points, six boards and five assists.

Regardless, his time with the Thunder has come to an end. His production in the NBA to this point likely won't have other teams eager to acquire him full-time, but perhaps the Argentinian forward could be signed to a 10-day hardship deal by a team.

Following the move today, Oklahoma City created a roster spot (via waiving Oni) while also acquiring more draft capital. Deck being a casualty in the deal only made sense. The Thunder will now have flexibility in later trades and could promote a two-way player like Aaron Wiggins now that there’s an open roster spot.

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