Jeremiah Robinson-Earl sees contract get fully guaranteed

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl #50 of the Oklahoma City Thunder bows his head during (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl #50 of the Oklahoma City Thunder bows his head during (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)

The Oklahoma City Thunder had a decision on former second-round pick Jeremiah Robinson-Earl as the clock struck midnight entering July 1st. The OKC Thunder traded up in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft to select Villanova product Jeremiah Robinson-Earl with the 32nd overall pick.

Sam Presti then elected to sign Robinson-Earl to a deal that mirrors an end-of-the-first-rounder prospects pact. Though, with Robinson-Earl being a second-rounder, this contract includes options, non-guaranteed days, and loopholes for OKC to get out of the deal early. One of those dates to watch was June 30th.

The OKC Thunder have guaranteed Jeremiah Robinson-Earl’s 1.9 million dollar contract for the 2023-24 season. Does this guarantee a job?

The NBA offseason started with a flurry of free agent signings beginning the evening of June 30th. However, Thunder fans had to wait until the wee hours of the night to get any OKC Thunder details. As the league year changed over at midnight on July 1, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl had survived on the roster long enough to guarantee himself 1.9 million dollars. The Thunder could have waived him before midnight only to owe him part of that 1.9 million dollars. If the OKC Thunder wishes to move on from the 6’9 forward, he will receive the entire 1.9 million dollars.

Despite being guaranteed the money, this low salary figure, mixed with the impending roster crunch, does not guarantee Jeremiah Robinson-Earl a job in Bricktown this season. As of this moment, the OKC Thunder have to waive three standard contracts to get into roster compliance by October.

That is a long way away, with plenty of time to find creative roster solutions, but Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is on the hot seat. The Missouri native has played in 92 career games, posting seven rebounds, five rebounds, and an assist per game. Robinson-Earl shots 34 percent from beyond the arc for his career and a lowly 55 percent at the rim.