Why the OKC Thunder exercised Darius Bazley’s 2021-22 team option

The OKC Thunder are continuing their busy end to 2020. They have continued this by exercising Darius Bazley’s team option for next season. Let’s explore why.

During his rookie season, there were questions from Thunder fans about whether the OKC Thunder had made the right choice when they traded Brandon Clarke in order to get Darius Bazley. Well during the NBA bubble, Bazley silenced most of those critics.

Bazley has started the season well collecting a double-double in the first game and then almost repeating the feat in the second game. Bazley has shown that he is certainly not scared to be in the starting lineup.

His experience with the Thunder squad from last season has stood him in good stead for the challenges he is going to face this season. He is now aware of what it takes to play winning basketball in the NBA.

How Darius Bazley is helping the OKC Thunder

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With Bazley as the starting power forward, the Thunder have four players on the court who can create their own shot off the dribble. This means that the opposition cannot just get in front of one or two players, blocking up the Thunder offense.

He is also capable of hitting the 3-ball which means that for the first time in the history of the Thunder they have a starting lineup who can all space the floor. Being so young, Bazley is going to have games where he barely hits the rim and other games where he is not going to miss.

Bazley also has a level of athleticism that us mere mortals can look at and be jealous of. This allows him to get to the hoop and finish through multiple defenders. He is very hard to stop when he gets the ball near the rim.

All of this adds up to an incredibly talented player who fits perfectly with the timeline of the OKC Thunder. He will grow and so will his game. Bazley is going g to be a huge part of the core of the future for this Thunder team and he is only costing the team $2.5 million next season.