The OKC Thunder have an interesting offseason head as they continue to rebuild their organization in hopes of being consistent title contenders again. The Oklahoma City Thunder own four 2022 NBA Draft picks, and Sam Presti seems comfortable selecting at all four slots if the right talent is there from everything I have heard. However, bringing in four rookies means the team must create four roster spots. The Thunder have 15 NBA contracts on the books right now though some are non-guaranteed and some are team options that Presti has to decide on by June 29th.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are comfortable bringing in all four of their selections in the 2022 NBA Draft from everything I have heard, though of course, that is banking on the fact there is a valued prospect at each of the four slots. This could lead to some panic around the OKC Thunder fanbase, questioning how the team can make up four roster spots, but it is not as impossible as it seems on the surface.
OKC Thunder has interesting roster decisions to make during the 2022 NBA Offseason, how could they create four roster spots?
Look, it will not be easy from a standpoint of Sam Presti he is going to need to make tough decisions. However, from the outside forces such as the cap situation and contracts for players, you can find four players to move on from in favor of four promising rookies. As one last disclaimer, this is assuming that OKC sees value at all four slots, if they do not, they will trade up, or back, or out of the draft. The bottom line is, that they will not be scared to do anything or feel as though they are restricted.
Mark Daigneault and Sam Presti both spoke about the upcoming 2022 training camp at their end-of-season media availabilities, and the message to us was clear October will be very competitive. That is a word that has been lost over the last two years as the boys in Blue submerge themselves into their tank in hopes of landing top picks in the NBA Draft. Now? They have, and while the 2022-23 season will not be competitive within the 48-minute regular season basketball games, it will be competitive during the preseason as multiple players fight for their spot in the NBA.
So who should be the most nervous this offseason if the OKC Thunder walks away from June 23rd’s NBA Draft with four new players?
Theo Maledon led the OKC Thunder in minutes his rookie season and logged 51-games this past year bringing his career total to 116 contests for the 2020 second-round pick. While averaging seven points, two rebounds, and two assists per game last season, some efficiency metrics portray Maledon as the worst player in the League.
Maledon dipped five percent on his three-point percentage down to 30-percent, even falling to 22-percent on corner triples, and just 32-percent beyond the arc in non-corner situations. His mid-range jumper stayed consistent at 39-percent, while his rim finishing improved but only from the 7th percentile in the NBA to the 30th percentile only finishing at the rim at a 53-percent clip.
The biggest reason the near 21-year-old point guard should be on edge if OKC brought in four players to kick off the offseason, is the fact his contract is non-guaranteed. If OKC elects to waive Maledon they would only owe part of his 1.9-million dollars to open up a roster spot.
While I like Isaiah Roby and think he has a bright future in the NBA as a rotational player, his contract makes him an easy candidate as he is only owed 1.9-million dollars even if OKC elects to pick up his club option, or they could do him a solid by declining it and allowing him to explore his value elsewhere.
At 25 years old, Ty Jerome is talked about as if he is a sharpshooter despite only having one good shooting season in the NBA. Jerome is only owed 4.2-million dollars next year which is not backbreaking to waive, but also could be lofted into a trade for a team that wants the flyer on an expiring deal and only need to give up a heavily protected second-round pick.
While Derrick Favors has already elected to pick up his ten million dollar player option, that is not a figure that would be the end of the world to waive and pay him to play for someone else to open up a roster spot if no one else wants him in a trade. However, it appears he loves being in this mentorship role in OKC.
Sadly, Muscala is an easy target to open up a roster spot only by turning down his 3.5-million dollar club option.
Vit Krejci is also on a partially guaranteed deal and owed just part of his 1.5 million dollars this season and 1.8 million dollars next season. However, I think the OKC Thunder believes in Vit Krejci’s development especially if he can improve on the defensive end of the floor, this one only makes sense due to the contract numbers.
Again, this is not an article suggesting OKC should get rid of all these players, they all provide upside, interest, and value in their own ways. However, if you want to get to four open roster spots, you have to make tough calls.
Note: The 34th pick could be put on a two-way deal, though 34th overall picks are rarely treated like that, they typically sign a deal that mirrors a first-round picks contract just with more outs for the team. However, could Presti leverage his track record of converting two-way deals to an agent and making them more comfortable with inking a two-way deal to start the year? Who knows. The three first-round picks would take NBA roster spots…unless Sam Presti pulls another Josh Huestis.