Earlier this summer it seemed like OKC Thunder forward Gabriel Deck may be destined to return to his Euro-League team. He’d played for his native country Argentina in the Olympics and the news was he may remain overseas.
Many did not bat an eye to this. While it would have been odd for the Oklahoma City Thunder to take Deck in for just ten games, forcing him and the organization to jump through the necessary hoops to get on the floor during the pandemic, it was not that far fetched the two sides would part ways.
While he was a quality throwback big throughout his short NBA career, at 26 he does not fit the OKC timeline, or future playstyle, without any trade value within the Association Deck could return to a league he could dominate and be more comfortable. It is what made the, now noted fake, report so believable.
Yet, Deck returned to Oklahoma City and was on hand for Media Day on Monday. Tomorrow he’ll be in a Thunder jersey and participate in his first training camp in Bricktown before participating in the four preseason games for the OKC Thunder that will take place between October 4th and 14th.
OKC Thunder Gabriel Deck always planned to return
Gabriel Deck made a brief appearance with the Thunder last season joining the team late in the season. He participated in 10 tilts playing 21 minutes pouring in eight points, four rebounds, a pair of assists, and a steal per game.
Deck is yet another player Mark Daigneault can utilize who checks off several boxes given his well-developed fundamental skillset. In terms of his contract, the Argentinian is signed through the next three seasons although the team can get out of the deal at any time with little-to-no consequence.
The OKC Thunder rotation, despite the projected last-place finish, is a loaded one. Of course, relative to players the organization hopes to develop. While the team will not win a ton of games, their roster is crowded with valuable young players. It will be hard for Deck to prove he is worth stealing minutes from the likes of Isaiah Roby, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and even Kenrich Williams.
Gabriel Deck shut down the notion that he was ever leaving the NBA, saying the plan was always to return to the OKC Thunder.
Along with the will he stay or will he go controversy, Deck was involved in “jersey gate.” When Josh Giddey was selected at pick-six, his preferred number is six which Deck currently wears. Giddey settled for the number three, but then reports surfaced that Deck would skip town.
That caused fans to worry about ordering their number three Giddey jerseys prematurely, was a number change on the horizon? Rest assured, at OKC media day Josh Giddey was wearing three, and Deck sported the number six. Go crazy with buying your Thunder jerseys.