The OKC Thunder are shaking up their NBA roster, despite staying relatively silent during the frantic NBA Trade Deadline week. As James Harden and Ben Simmons swap places, The Mavericks make a puzzling move, the Kings give away a key young guard, and more Woj Twitter notifications than we can all count the Thunder only made one trade during the week.
OKC shipped a second-round pick to Miami for KZ Okpala from the Heat. This move also made the future first-round pick Miami owes OKC more appealing.
OKC Thunder ink hometown kid Lindy Waters III to two-way deal thanks to stellar OKC Blue season
The Oklahoma City Thunder have waived Paul Watson Jr from his two-way deal, and have replaced him with Lindy Waters III. The NBA allows two two-way deals per team, and the OKC Thunder are always looking to take advantage of these deals. It allows players to be called up from the NBA G-League and sent back fluidly and typically caps the number of games two-way players can play in the NBA, though this year that restriction has gone away due to COVID-19. Sam Presti does not just throw these deals around, he has a long history of converting two-way deals to standard NBA pacts.
Paul Watson Jr was signed over the summer after Presti pulled the rug from under hyper-athlete Josh Hall. The two ironically traded places as Hall found a home in Toronto on a two-way deal, and Paul Watson Jr came to Bricktown after his time in Toronto came to an end. Watson Jr was never truly given an opportunity in Bricktown only playing in nine games for OKC after being outshined by his fellow two-way player, rookie, Aaron Wiggins. The 27-year-old now hits the open market as a career 40-percent three-point shooter with solid defense.
Lindy Waters III has taken over for Watson on the second two-way deal after shooting over 40-percent on five three-point attempts per game for the OKC Blue, the Thunder’s NBA G-Leauge squad.
Waters has never had to leave the state of Oklahoma to find success in the basketball world sharing the floor with Trae Young in high school at Norman North High School, playing college ball for Oklahoma State University, participating in a semi-pro league in Edmond, before trying out and making the team for the OKC Blue.
The 24-year-old will wear the number 12 for the Bricktown boys and will look to make his debut over the weekend as the Thunder have a back-to-back with the 76ers and Chicago Bulls on Friday and Saturday.