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3 Free agent role players OKC Thunder should consider to fill roster gaps

By Noah Schulte

CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 4: Rodney Hood #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball during practice as his team prepares for Game Three of the NBA Eastern Conference Semi-finals against the Toronto Raptors on May 5, 2018 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 4: Rodney Hood #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball during practice as his team prepares for Game Three of the NBA Eastern Conference Semi-finals against the Toronto Raptors on May 5, 2018 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 09: Tyrone Wallace #12 of the Los Angeles Clippers grabs a rebound against Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans in the first half of the game at Staples Center on April 9, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. . (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 09: Tyrone Wallace #12 of the Los Angeles Clippers grabs a rebound against Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans in the first half of the game at Staples Center on April 9, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. . (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

Tyrone Wallace

The OKC Thunder haven’t had a player like Ty Wallace in awhile. The University of California product is one of the most versatile guards in the league, capable of defending multiple positions, taking the role of a lead playmaker on offense, and even creating his own shot–albeit infrequently. All of which are things the Thunder desperately need coming off their bench.

Even with the addition of Dennis Schröder and retention of Jerami Grant this offseason, the team still lacks a wing–like Wallace–who can truly solve a variety of problems coming off the bench. He averaged a diverse stat line last year of 9.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game with decent efficiency and solid defense. And when was the last time you saw someone on the Thunder make plays like this:

Those kinds of plays are emblematic of who Wallace is as a player. He’s never going to fit into traditional player archetypes and boxes, but he always finds ways to be an effective player in spite of that. For example, whereas most guards and wings nowadays tend to stay behind the arc and get more of their points from that range, Wallace rarely ventures outside of 15 feet for his points, yet still shot a clean 44.5 percent from the field in his rookie year.

And yes, the Thunder don’t necessarily need another long athlete who can’t shoot, but Wallace is a different kind of player. He’ll be able to do so many different things proficiently that his lack of shooting is kind of irrelevant.

Plus, he won’t cost much for the OKC Thunder to acquire. He’s hardly garnered any attention thus far in the free agency market and the further we go through the offseason, the less likely it is he’ll command significant money from whichever team signs him. Wallace isn’t going to move the needle a ton for OKC, but he’ll probably be able to do just enough to help solidify their bench.

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