For the Oklahoma City Thunder, the price of their depth has been paid this offseason.
As second-apron and luxury-tax penalties loomed with the extensions for Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, the Thunder were forced to move on from both Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe— important veterans who largely fell out of the playoff rotation with the emergence of Jared McCain. It's also likely that, given their financial situation, the team will be forced to move off of Luguentz Dort this offseason as well.
For a team as deep as Oklahoma City, this is just a fact of life under the modern CBA. These players, whose opportunities were limited on the Thunder's roster, will get the chance to blossom somewhere else.
The same might be true for Chris Youngblood, whose appearance on the Portland Trail Blazers' Summer League roster may open the door to a real NBA opportunity. As beloved as Youngblood was during his short tenure in Oklahoma City, that path was never truly open to him even on his two-way contract.
Chris Youngblood is getting a fresh NBA lifeline this offseason with the Portland Trail Blazers
When the Thunder added Youngblood on a two-way deal prior to the start of last season, he was seen as a scrappy, floor-spacing guard with potential NBA upside as a rotational player. During his final college season— across 28 games with the University of Alabama— Youngblood averaged 10.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists while shooting 38.8% from beyond the arc.
If a player can shoot consistently off-ball and make the right plays on the defensive end of the court, there will always be roles available in the NBA. At 6'4", Youngblood also has the staunch frame to make an impact as a two-way guard.
But across 32 games with Oklahoma City, Youngblood averaged just 5.4 minutes per game and shot just 33.3% from the field. He was surpassed in the pecking order by both Brooks Barnhizer and Brandon Carlson, and when the Thunder ultimately waived him in February, no one was all that surprised.
Youngblood then signed with Portland on a two-way deal. While his opportunities with the NBA squad were limited, he performed excellently in his G-League appearances, averaging 22 points and shooting 44.8% from 3-point range across seven games with the Rip City Remix.
Now, Youngblood is set to receive major minutes on the Trail Blazers' Summer League roster. Even with a relatively deep backcourt, the path is there for Youngblood to work his way into a rotational role in Portland this season.
Obviously, players like Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson will be above Youngblood in the rotational hierarchy no matter how he performs. But if Youngblood can hit his perimeter shots consistently through Summer League and the preseason, the Trail Blazers' need for additional floor-spacing and viable wing play could quickly open a door for the 24-year-old guard that, frankly, never would've even been cracked with Oklahoma City.
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