What Does Darius Bazley’s Future Look Like with Thunder?

Darius Bazley didn't sign a rookie contract extension with the Thunder.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Darius Bazley did not come to an agreement on a potential rookie contract extension. Bazley will now enter restricted free agency at the conclusion of the upcoming season.

With that decision in mind, the 6-foot-8 forward now has a big season ahead of him, as he doesn’t have long-term stability. Bazley may be playing for more than an increased contract, as this season could easily define his career ahead of him. A poor, inefficient season could lead to Bazley signing short, cheap contracts in hopes to stick somewhere as a role player.

In his last season, Bazley averaged 10.8 points per game, which is a drop off of nearly three points from his sophomore season. He did so on 48.4% from the field and 29.7% on 3-pointers.

It’s safe to say Bazley hasn’t filled into any all-star potential, but there’s still a route for him to play in the league for a long time. If he plays into his strengths in a lesser role than he’d like, he’ll prove beneficial to nearly any team in the league.

As mentioned, real value could come from Bazley. He’s a solid roller in the pick-and-roll, and he can be a good cutter which fits well with Josh Giddey. He brings solid defense which plays well with Lu Dort and, in the future, Chet Holmgren.

Because he’s been unable to shoot the 3-pointer with efficiency, it’s hard to imagine Bazley as a starter this season or beyond for the Thunder. Players like Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander need spacing to maximize their skills.

To simply put it, Bazley will need to prove himself as a long-term role player if he wants to maximize his next offseason and cement a role during the Thunder’s rebuild.

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