From Korean League MVP to a full-time NBA player, TI presents a breakdown of Deonte Burton’s journey to the greatest basketball league in the world.
Prior to the start of the 2018-19 season, there was little noise surrounding the OKC Thunder newest member Deonte Burton. At 6’5, 250 pounds, the 25-year-old was a tweener – height of a guard but the body of a power forward.
But it didn’t take long for Burton to make his mark.
The former Marquette and Iowa State product impressed at every turn, playing big at the Las Vegas Summer League, attacking fearlessly against the NBA’s best when given the opportunity and earning the trust of the team’s superstars Russell Westbrook and Paul George.
His elite athletic ability and high energy play earned the respect of fans rapidly in the Mid-West and it did not take long for him to become a fan favorite. Burton is Westbrook-esque. Different skillset but same attitude – play hard and never cheat the fans.
It’s taken close to six months for the Thunder to sign him but it was made official yesterday with the announcement Sam Presti inked Burton to a multi-year deal with Oklahoma City.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and two-way forward Deonte Burton have agreed to a multi-year deal, converting him to a full NBA contract, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 10, 2019
The structure of his deal has yet to be revealed but it’s about time the Thunder rewarded him with a spot on the roster. One assumes this was always going to happen with the organization electing to use as many of the 45 days they could on his two-way contract in case a free agent became available post-trade deadline.
Now that Burton is a member of OKC, let’s take a look at his journey to one of basketball’s brightest stages.