3 Players on the hot seat following the 2023 Draft for the OKC Thunder

Lindy Waters III

The legend of Lindy Waters lll in the local Oklahoma scene has been well-celebrated.  But, his fit in the long-term vision for the Thunder is certainly up in the air.

Averaging 13 minutes per game, Waters III shot 36 percent from outside the arc on four threes a contest. The efficiency in little volume is decent enough to be a rotational player, at least for what it looks like on paper. On the eye test, though, there were lots left to be desired from Waters.

His shot selection has been often in question on numerous stretches as he tends to chuck ill-advised jumpers early in the shot clock. He has been a fairly average defender too, with some bursts of solid perimeter resistance, however, the ceiling that he may possess does not make him an attractive candidate in the long run, considering what the Thunder is building in its roster.

With his main weapon being his shooting, Waters continues to have value on the current lineup, although that value has depreciated and could continue to fall with the emergence of Isaiah Joe, who shot 41 percent from three, and other players with good shooting upsides such as Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, and Josh Giddey.

Waters III may have been a great story in the local scene, but he may turn out to be a misfit in the lineup as the roster crunch looms and shall inevitably persist. At some point, we will have to swallow the truth in roster consolidation and accept even the hardest of decisions. Despite Lindy Waters III remaining such a great story for the OKC Thunder organization.