The Oklahoma City Thunder boast an obscene amount of star power with the likes of Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and, of course, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge. However, it's their assortment of G League talents that really sets this team apart from the rest of the association.
Though farm leagues are more of an MLB thing, Oklahoma City's ability to develop its JV players over the years is enough to thrust them into the same conversation as the Los Angeles Dodgers.
During a recent media session, Aaron Wiggins, an OKC Blue alumnus himself, discussed the abundance of such players on this Thunder roster, noting that it instills a feeling of "togetherness" and further emphasized that the success of this team is more of a rags-to-riches story than anything else.
"The path to this point wasn't always glitz and glamour. It was a fight and you had to earn your stripes and you had to work your way here. We have a large group of ours guys who have taken that path," Wiggins said. "It's something we all understand [and that] you can't take for granted and we're grateful for our individual journeys."
OKC Thunder development league is MLB-esque
Currently on their varsity team roster, there are 12 players who are former G League participants. Outside of Wiggins, three of their most prominent contributors who fall into this category are Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Isaiah Joe.
While the lion's share of attention when it comes to this Thunder club is geared toward their stars, it's this hit rate with rostering second-round picks and undrafted free agents that truly is the most vital component of their pursuit of dynasty status.
With the new CBA in place and crippling tax penalties running rampant, unearthing diamond-in-the-rough talents late in the draft process is seemingly more valuable than ever.
Frankly, this is the primary reason why many believe the Thunder will be able to evade the dreaded second apron over the next several seasons despite signing all three of Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, and Holmgren to multi-year, max extensions this past offseason.
Along with the bevy of first-round selections Oklahoma City has coming their way over these next several draft cycles, they also will find 11 second-rounders falling into their possession between now and 2031.
With this abundance of capital, it is widely believed that Sam Presti and company will look to consolidate a large quantity of these rights for better quality.
However, holding onto a solid chunk of these second-round picks will be crucial for accomplishing their goal of staying under the second apron moving forward.
Fortunately, based on their track record, fans should assume that more cost-efficient, highly effective talents will be discovered through these less buzzed-about means as time goes by.