OKC Thunder roster update: Terrance Ferguson signs rookie contract
OKC Thunder draft pick Terrance Ferguson finally signs his rookie contract.
More than a month after the NBA Draft of June 22, OKC’s lone draft pick Terrance Ferguson has officially signed a contract. Granted, NBA draft night 2017 for the OKC Thunder will be remembered primarily for the surprising Paul George trade.
Not to be forgotten however was the 21st pick of that evening when Sam Presti selected wing man Terrance Ferguson. Little was known about Ferguson at the time, given he spent his season in Australia playing in a professional league instead of Stateside at College.
Oklahoma City's No. 21 overall pick Terrance Ferguson has agreed to his four-year rookie scale contract, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 28, 2017
Holding Pattern:
Fans were anxious to catch a glimpse of the reported athletic, defensive wing to gauge his potential. It was expected Ferguson would appear in Orlando at the Summer League event which began July 1. Coincidentally this was the same day the free agency moratorium started. In the end Ferguson never saw a minute of court time.
This, due to reported issues negotiating his release from the Adelaide 36ers and FIBA. Since the Thunder were not participating in the Vegas Summer League his contract signing was pushed the back burner.
Related: Draft Prospect T. Ferguson
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Roster Management:
Instead, Sam Presti focused on building the rest of his roster. Between July 4 up to Ferguson’s contract signing Presti addressed five other roster holes:
- Free Agent Patrick Patterson – July 4
- Andre Roberson re-signed – July 5
- Free Agent Raymond Felton – July 7
- Nick Collison re-signs – July 14
- Dakari Johnson signed – July 20
With these five players addressed Presti got around to inking Ferguson to his rookie deal which is a 4-year rookie scale contract.
Erik Horne of News OK notes OKC can’t trade Ferguson for 30-days, and as per the terms of the contract:
"In the event of trade talks, Ferguson — a young, athletic wing — would potentially be an enticing piece to other teams. Ferguson, who based on the NBA’s rookie salary scale will earn $1,487,000 million in his first season, will likely see most of his minutes this season in the G-League with the Oklahoma City Blue."
With the addition of Ferguson to the roster the OKC Thunder now have one extra player to shed to get to their 15 man roster. Speculation on a buy-out or trade of either Semaj Christon or Kyle Singler will continue to be a narrative until a decision is made.
Then again, Presti keeps his cards close to his vest. So perhaps there is a bigger picture, we just haven’t figured out. For now, it’s good to know Terrance Ferguson is ‘officially’ on the roster. It’s expected Ferguson may spend more time with the G-League Blue than the varsity squad. Still, many Thunder fans are now circling their preseason calendars excited to finally get a glimpse of Ferguson in action. Suffice to say, October can’t get here soon enough.