OKC Thunder: Happy birthday Donte Grantham

OKC Thunder two-way player Donte Grantham celebrates his 23rd birthday. Here’s to continued success and a chance at the NBA level.

If you’re a big fan of the OKC Thunder, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of the young two-way player Donte Grantham. But unless you follow the Oklahoma Blue, you probably haven’t seen him on the floor outside of a few rare possessions in garbage time.

Although Grantham hasn’t gotten much of a chance at the NBA level, appearing in garbage time in three games while getting heavy minutes in the G-League. He averages 10.2 points a game with the Blue, along with 6.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

Grantham was a four-year player out of Clemson and went undrafted in 2018 before being signed by the Thunder and assigned to the Blue. Sam Presti was likely intrigued by Grantham for his intangibles, such as athleticism and frame, but also shows potential in being a productive player, particularly on the defensive end.

While Grantham lacks offensive consistency, he makes up for it on the defensive side of the ball due to his length and quickness. At 6-feet, 8-inches tall and 215 pounds, he makes life tough on ball handlers by not allowing easy passes to the rim and stays in the passing lanes at all times. And although his shooting is a work in progress, he sinks just under 80 percent of his shots at the line, which allows him to stay on the floor late in close games.

Made for the Thunder

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A player like Grantham fits the typical player mold of what the Thunder look for, so it comes as no surprise he was rewarded with a two-way contract earlier this season. He may not get a lot of run immediately, but having a strong defensive presence off the bench in relief for Paul George would allow Jerami Grant to stay at the four-spot. That’s not to say Grantham can’t guard multiple position with his height and length, but the Thunder are pretty much set at both the two and the four spots.

With any luck, Grantham will have a similar success story to that of Deonte Burton, who recently graduated from two-way contract to a full-time roster spot with OKC through good work in limited minutes. Now isn’t the best time for Grantham, as the Thunder are fighting for home-court advantage in the home stretch of the season, but a few good moments could lead to a bigger opportunity next season.

For now, we celebrate his 23rd birthday and hope that this time next year, he’s a household name among Thunder fans.