The Oklahoma City Thunder have been cruising right around throughout NBA Summer League, participating in two NBA Summer League circuits. A three-game sprint in Salt Lake City, and the standard 30-team Las Vegas Summer League, which has provided a lot of fun for OKC Thunder fans over the last two weeks. In large part thanks to the 2022 NBA Draft class that featured four new players (Chet Holmgren, Ousmane Dieng, Jalen Williams, and Jaylin Williams), the second straight year Sam Presti brought in a four-player draft class.
With the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder stuck to their guns and selected Gonzaga big man, Chet Holmgren, after the Magic pulled off the smokescreen of the century in selecting Paolo Banchero first overall.
Holmgren began Summer League by flashing his uber-high ceiling in a picture-perfect dominating debut that earned him a social media shoutout from former-OKC Thunder great Kevin Durant.
Oklahoma City Thunder sits Chet Holmgren and provides injury updates on Tre Mann and Ousmane Dieng as Vegas Summer League winds down
The second overall pick showed his potential over the last week, and like many of the other top-picks in the 2022 NBA Draft, it appears the Oklahoma City Thunder are shutting down Holmgren for the rest of Summer League. The Orlando Magic were first to shut down their prized pick earlier this week hours before a potential match-up with Holmgren.
This will be the second time the big man has rested in Summer League, the first coming on day three of Salt Lake City before what would have been his third game in as many days. Though, this time it appears his Summer League session is over. While the team has not officially said that, the team only has one more game left on Sunday against the New Orleans Pelicans with both teams being eliminated from Summer League title contention.
The Oklahoma City Thunder also provided injury updates and officially ended Ousmane Dieng’s Summer League session as the 11th overall pick is dealing with a “slight chip” in his right wrist, he will be out for the remainder of Summer League but will be ready for the start on OKC Thunder Training camp in late September/Early October.
As Tre Mann bounced back against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, he also suffered a left Ankle Sprain in that game which sidelined him for Friday’s contest against the Warriors. Mann has not been officially shut down for the final game against the Pelicans either, but reading the tea leaves it seems unlikely that he will participate.
Josh Giddey, the second-year star point guard who logged a triple-double in Summer League, has already been shut down. Aleksej Pokusevski also has not stepped on the floor since Salt Lake City, and against the Warriors on Friday, second-year wing Aaron Wiggins did not log a minute, either. That begins to dwindle the OKC Thunder Summer League roster.