OKC Thunder fans, we are a little over ten days removed from the 2023 NBA Draft. Much of the dust has settled, players have received their proper team hats, and they are ready to begin their rookie journeys!
Summer League is the first stop for most players after entering the NBA and meeting with their new teams. Rookies are getting comfortable with their new coaches, teammates, and threads and will have their first shot to show off on an NBA floor in front of fans.
The OKC Thunder, 76ers, Jazz, and Grizzlies will have their own private party coming up this week in the Salt Lake City Summer League. Eventually, all of these teams will venture to Las Vegas, joining the other 26 teams for more games and a Summer League champion tournament.
For now, we will keep our focus on the SLC Summer League, where the Thunder will get their feet wet, and fans will get their first look at rookies and returning players from last season.
What are the top 3 things to watch at Salt Lake City Summer League for the OKC Thunder?
Getting the obvious out of the way, Saturday afternoon, the OKC Thunder announced that top 10 pick Cason Wallace will not be playing in Salt Lake City this week. Due to the draft night trade that got Wallace to OKC not being able to go through until July 6th, Wallace will have to watch his future teammates from the sidelines until he is eligible to play in Las Vegas starting on July 7th. The Thunder’s first game in Sin City coming soon after on the 8th against the Dallas Mavericks, and Wallace will get his first minutes with a Thunder jersey against his hometown team, the one that traded him.
Even without Cason Wallace for the first four games in Utah, there are still all types of OKC Thunder storylines, stats, players, developments, and more for fans to look forward to on this OKC Thunder Summer League roster! My task? Narrow all of the excitement down into a neatly wrapped top three of what Thunder fans should be looking to watch at Summer League in SLC.