2022-23 Oklahoma City Thunder roster projection 2.0

The Oklahoma City Thunder are a week out from starting their season, on October 17th the OKC Thunder must trim their 20-player roster down to 17 including their two-way contracts. Setting their roster up for the regular season opener on October 19th. The OKC Thunder have made a flurry of roster moves already this month, but still, need to waive multiple players.

A lot has changed since our first roster projection, namely the names at the bottom of the depth chart. Where does the OKC Thunder roster stand right now, and who will be waived in a week? Let’s dive into it.

Predicting the 2022-23 Oklahoma City Thunder roster ahead of the NBA regular season

The OKC Thunder not only made the massive (numbers-wise) swap with the Houston Rockets, but they have also used that 20th slot on their training camp roster to cycle through players to earn their G-League rights. From Sacha Killeya-Jones to Robert Woodard II, Jahmi’us Ramsey, Jordan Shackelford, and Abdul Gaddy, these signs and near-immediate waives are nothing more than NBA transaction funny business to shuffle them down to the OKC Blue.

So just note, while Gaddy is on the roster, he will not be long so let’s focus on the 19 players that have NBA-level contracts.

Guards: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Tre Mann, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Trey Burke, Lindy Waters III* (7)

Forwards: Darius Bazley, Marquese Chriss, Ousmane Dieng, David Nwaba, Aleksej Pokusevski, Aaron Wiggins, Kenrich Williams, and Eugene Omoruyi* (8)

Centers: Jaylin Williams, Chet Holmgren, Mike Muscala, and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (4)

*Two-Way contract

Chopping Block: Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss, David Nwaba, and the aforementioned Gaddy.

Cuts: Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss, and Abdul Gaddy.

Trey Burke and Marquese Chriss have not reported to the team since being dealt to Bricktown from Houston, and Abdul Gaddy is of course a G-League player. But why keep David Nwaba?

The Oklahoma City Thunder have operated with an open roster spot to start the season a lot in the past, mainly when they were competing for titles. There is not much value in doing that right now as the buyout market will not be of interest to them later in the year.

Nwaba has the shot to net back a second-round pick at the deadline if he plays well in the first half of the season on his five million dollar deal with a team option for the same amount next season if a team wants to decline it and thus making it a de facto expiring contract.

The only other option would be to waive all four players in the chopping block category and convert Lindy Waters III to a standard NBA contract while opening up a two-way slot to try out another player. Though, the team does not have much incentive to do that this early in the season. Waters III can play in 50 NBA games this season before Presti has to make that call.

Who would you waive from this team?