The OKC Thunder are about to embark on yet another NBA Training Camp in Oklahoma City, the team will carry 20 players on their roster at this time, adding two players we do not know about as of now before next Tuesday.
The team will cycle through training camp deals allowing them to play in the NBA Preseason, which will feature four highly anticipated games including a return to the BOK Center after skipping out on the Tulsa trip a year ago due to the pandemic.
OKC Thunder training camp legends, where are they now?
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a historic preseason last year, in terms of fans falling in love with players who would eventually not make the roster. You can rattle them off right now, remembering your timeline that feature fans fighting to the death over the release of Frank Jackson, getting DMs every week about how Omer Yurtseven should make the squad, Oh hey TJ Leaf is here?!, and of course the Admiral…Schofield. Fans desperately wanted Sam Presti to waive the likes of Isaiah Roby and Kenrich Williams to save a pair of players from that group.
Frank Jackson is by far the most successful of last year’s fan favorites. After a two-year tour in New Orleans, Jackson could not make the club in Oklahoma City even as it was rumored the Thunder hoped to take him in the 2017 NBA Draft.
After being let go by OKC last year, Jackson signed on with the Detriot Pistons and played in 40 of 72 games, starting six times, posting nearly 10-points, an assist, and two rebounds per contest. The 23-year-old shot 40-percent from deep on nearly four attempts per clash. From the floor, he finished with a career-high 45-percent.
The Pistons elected to re-sign the Duke product to a two-year pact that features a 3.1-million dollar club option for the 2022-23 season.
Omer Yurtseven had hype only matched by Deonte Burton when it comes to random players OKC Thunder fans loved without seeing much of anything.
A few pictures of Yurtseven from training camp last year, which due to the pandemic no one got to attend, had fans in a craze. All because of his 7-foot 264-pound frame.
He spent time with the OKC Blue last year before inking a deal with the Miami Heat at the end of the season. After a dominant Summer League with the Heat, the club signed him to a two-year deal, which guarantees him a shot at the NBA this season, a non-guaranteed deal in 2022-23, and if all goes well Miami holds his rights to be an RFA in 2023.
TJ Leaf remains out of the league even at just 24 years old, the former 18th overall pick is looking for another training camp deal.
After being selected with the top pick in the G-League Draft last season, Admiral Schofield still has not received another shot from an NBA club. While he is still on the books for the OKC Thunder, after being waived last December.
Given the Greensboro Swarm spent their first overall pick on him a year ago, I would guess the Tennessee product will be in Hornets camp next week. Instead, the Orlando Magic announced today that they have inked Schofield to a training camp pact.
Who is your favorite OKC Thunder training camp legend?