After four months of dormancy, the OKC Thunder are officially gearing up to make their return to the hardwood... well, sort of.
Oklahoma City's training camp is slated to open on October 1, which is a time when in-game schemes will be thought up, chemistry will be built and strengthened, and rotations will begin to become clearer as we head into the upcoming regular season.
For this last part, it's already understood that roughly six or seven players are bound to see a large chunk of action throughout the year, with stars such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren expected to receive 30+ minutes a night.
However, considering just how talented this club's roster is, there's a strong possibility that coach Mark Daigneault will regularly find himself rolling out 10 to 12 men in a game on a rather consistent basis, which, in turn, means that rotation spots and specific in-game duties are certainly up for grabs.
Training camp presents an optimal time for players on the bubble to showcase their worth to this Thunder team and, looking at their club's current crop of ballers, there are a few players, in particular, who could realistically work their way toward receiving a prominent or increased role within coach Daigneault's lineups in 2024-25.
Thunder who could receive bigger roles with strong training camp
Aaron Wiggins
Over his three-year career, Aaron Wiggins has seen his minutes continuously decrease despite proving to be notably productive when found on the hardwood.
Take this past season, for example -- even though the wing saw career-highs in field goal (56.2) and 3-point (49.2) percentage, defensive rating (113), and win shares (3.7), the 25-year-old recorded a career-low in minutes (15.7) and shot attempts (4.8) per-game.
What bodes well for Wiggins potentially seeing an uptick in all of these aforementioned low-point metrics (especially MPG) is the fact that he managed to see a career-high in usage percentage (16.4) and was rewarded with a multi-year contract extension this summer with a worth of $47 million.
Getting someone who can flourish off the ball in catch-and-shoot settings (30 percent of his shots came in such a fashion last year, and almost 83 percent of his makes came off assists) and provide highly versatile defensive chops more minutes should be seen as a must for this title-hopeful Thunder team.
Training camp will be the place for Wigging to make the team understand this.
Dillon Jones
Not only was Dillon Jones a first-round selection during this past June's NBA Draft, but he was also someone the Thunder traded a whopping five future second-round draft picks to attain.
Over the years, GM Sam Presti and coach Mark Daigneault have shown that they are infatuated with players boasting talents that impact many different facets of the game and that can be slotted into numerous positions within the lineup.
Jones fits this description to a tee.
Though measuring in at just 6-foot-5, the 22-year-old has proven himself to be capable of playing much bigger than his height would suggest, as he found himself leading the Weber State Wildcats in the rebounding department during all four years of his tenure and showcased his impressive strength and toughness while consistently making his way to the rim for powerful finishes.
During his last season at the collegiate level, Jones would go on to win the Big Sky Player of the Year award while dropping impressive, all-around averages of 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 2.0 steals while shooting 48.9 percent from the field.
While his long-range game is still something that could use for some tweaking (converted on only 32.0 percent of his 3-pointers at Weber State), the rookie is a player capable of being slotted in anywhere from a two down to a small-ball four and, with his ability to bang down low on the boards, distribute the rock, and cover multiple positions, the Thunder could easily benefit from his talents.
He may be seen as a raw project prospect, but a strong camp can make all the difference between him revolving in and out of the G League and logging consistent minutes on the varsity team.
Cason Wallace
Cason Wallace's rookie campaign may have been somewhat overshadowed by the likes of 7-footer, Chet Holmgren's ROY runner-up showing, but it was still one that deserves serious recognition.
Through 82 games played, the 20-year-old proved to be exactly as advertised upon being selected 10 overall during last summer's draft.
From his shooting stroke that saw him cash in on 41.9 percent of his attempts from distance to his elite defensive chops that only seemed to get better as pressures became greater, Wallace was a tremendous luxury for the Thunder in his limited role in the rotation.
Now, heading into year two, the Kentucky product will likely be looking to distance himself from being seen as a complimentary talent and, instead, a legitimate core piece moving forward -- after all, the goal for every lottery pick and the team that selects them is to have them turn into a foundational piece at some point in their careers.
Of course, considering the Thunder went about and added the likes of Alex Caruso this offseason, there's now new-found competition to serve in a 3-and-D backcourt role alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Still, with the departure of Josh Giddey, there's now simultaneously more of a need for extra ball handler and set-up talents to step up on the roster.
During October's camp, it's up to Wallace to continue to dazzle with his defense and off-ball shooting, while also showing he can be more than just an off-ball contributor on the offensive side.
Coming into the pros, the combo guard was frequently compared to the likes of All-Star Jrue Holiday. Now is the time for Wallace to further strengthen this lofty comparison.