The OKC Thunder recently made a push to snag restricted free agent Spencer Jones away from Denver, albeit to no avail, as the Nuggets ultimately decided to match Sam Presti's two-year, $12 million offer sheet.
While the failed chase for the soon-to-be junior may have some questioning which path Oklahoma City may now look to pivot toward in an effort to fill their 15 and final roster spot, if their recent pursuit's position is any indication, wings should be at the forefront of their wish list.
Now, while Jones would have certainly been a solid get considering his flashes of 3&D brilliance, residing on the unrestricted free agency market is a buy-low candidate of a similar skillset who may have an even higher ceiling in the likes of Ochai Agbaji.
Thunder must consider Ochai Agbaji to fill final roster spot
Agbaji, the 14 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, came into the association as a highly touted, two-way prospect out of Kentucky who boasted a player profile headlined by solid on-ball defensive skills and a noteworthy perimeter shooting game.
Following a solid debut season with the Jazz, one where he posted averages of 7.9 points and 2.1 boards on 35.5 percent shooting from deep, Agbaji was traded midway through his sophomore go-around to the Raptors, who, quite frankly, coughed up a considerable amount for his services.
After getting through his half-season adjustment stint in Toronto, the forward actually went on to have quite a solid first full year with the club with averages of 10.4 points and 3.8 rebounds on 49.8 percent shooting from the floor and 39.9 percent shooting from deep.
He would also rank in the 94 percentile in perimeter isolation defense and the 74 percentile in rim deterrence during the 2024-25 campaign.
Sadly, seemingly due to the result of the Raptors shifting their focus toward winning more than development, he was traded yet again, this time to the hapless Nets mid-way through 2025-26, where, though he provided solid scoring production in the form of 6.7 points per game on .455/ .349/ .786 shooting splits, he ultimately had his $8.8 million qualifying offer declined.
After nearly a month of free agency, Agbaji has yet to be snatched up. Perhaps the Thunder should be interested in a low-risk, high-reward pursuit of the wing?
As noted earlier, with their initial offer to Jones, it's rather evident that the Thunder are open to the idea of filling out their three spot behind All-Star Jalen Williams. Considering the bevy of injuries he endured last season, who could blame them?
Presumably, by way of a mere mid-level exception, Oklahoma City could actually address this positional need of theirs with a 26-year-old recent lottery-selected talent who has shown signs of being a quality wing contributor on both ends of the floor throughout his young career in the league.
In many ways, a pursuit of Agbaji seems far too enticing to pass on.
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