Sam Presti and the OKC Thunder continue to have the busiest offseason in the NBA. They signed Omer Yurtseven to an exhibit 10 deal.
The OKC Thunder are all in on their rebuild. They have dismantled last season’s roster and are adding asset after asset. They signed the undrafted Omer Yurtseven to an Exhibit-10 deal straight after the draft per Chris Haymes of Yahoo Sports.
For those who do not understand an Exhibit-10 deal, follow this link for an explanation. Basically, it is a training camp invite which can be converted to a two-way or a full contract. If neither of these options occurs the player gets a bonus to sign with the affiliate G-League team.
For those who have not come across Yurtseven, he is an offensively minded 7’0″ center who averaged 15.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocked shots for Georgetown last season. With numbers like that he was at least a chance of going in the second round.
Why Omer Yurtseven was available for the OKC Thunder.
Omer Yurtseven's HUGE offensive board and put-back sealed the deal for @PackMensBball in Chapel Hill. #MustSeeACC pic.twitter.com/4iwUSacr4a
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) January 27, 2018
Most draft analysts had Yurtseven going late in the second round, or indeed undrafted which is what transpired. So why was he not selected? The simple answer is that most scouts were wary of his lack of lateral quickness.
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In the eight-month hiatus from college ball, Yurtseven has spent most of this time working on this issue. However, most clubs like to see this in workouts or game action and therefore did not risk a pick on Yurtseven.
There was plenty of interest, 19 clubs met with the 22-year-old virtually. However, the Thunder signed him to the deal. With Steven Adams, Al Horford, and Mike Muscala on the books for this year, it was not for any game time in the upcoming season.
Yurtseven is a hard worker and therefore the Thunder are looking to make him a project, should he make it past training camp. He has the potential to be a stretch-five as he works on his range and this is a crucial skill in today’s NBA.
The other factor which would have swayed the OKC Thunder is that Yurtseven is a hard worker. When a team is going through a rebuild, character can be as important as talent. Yurtseven has the potential to outwork the recently traded Abdel Nader.
One of the most exciting things about a team going through a rebuild is watching young talent develop. Yurtseven will take every chance to learn and work that comes his way.