The Oklahoma City Thunder came away with some major talent in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Not only did they add Aday Mara and Bennet Stirtz in the first round—at 12th and 16th overall, respectively—but they also held onto their second-round selection, picking up a potential long-term 3-and-D piece in Kentucky guard Otega Oweh. Not to be forgotten, though, is Creighton wing Josh Dix, whom Oklahoma City picked up as an undrafted free agent.
On a roster as deep as the Thunder's, the two-way players (which includes Oweh, Dix, and Brooks Barnhizer this season), likely won't see a ton of run. Perhaps the bulk of Oweh and Dix's minutes will come in the G-League. But even if they don't get extensive NBA opportunities, each of these three players will be fighting for their Thunder lifelines over the course of the season.
Especially Dix.
While Barnhizer has shown some abilities as a scorer and Oweh has the long-term defensive upside to be a worthy stash for Oklahoma City, Dix needs major improvement on both ends of the court before he's ready to be a rotational-caliber NBA player.
With the Thunder having three first-round picks in next year's draft and a clear willingness to add two-way talent when it's necessary, Dix is already on thin ice when it comes to his time with the organization.
Josh Dix has his work cut out for him to stick with the Thunder beyond this season
Dix was a worthy swing for the Thunder in an undrafted capacity. Although he had a down season on a discombobulated Creighton offense during his final college campaign, he still managed to flash some upside as a perimeter shooter and a downhill driver, averaging 13.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while rounding off his college tenure with a career 3-point percentage of 38.4.
At 6'5", moreover, Dix has the length to be an impactful off-ball defender and the agility to be a capable screen-navigator as he gains strength at the NBA level.
But the defensive impact just doesn't seem to be there at this point, and neither does the intensity or the power to compete against true NBA players. Dix looked good production-wise in Summer League, averaging 8.4 points and knocking down 39.4% of his attempts from beyond the arc, but he often seemed outmatched against even the competition in Las Vegas.
If he were on a team with plenty of time to develop him and work on these issues, there wouldn't be any reason to be concerned about his immediate future. But the Thunder don't truly have that.
The pressure will likely be closing in on Dix, then, as soon as training camp starts. Payton Sandfort remains without a contract after he was waived by the Thunder in early July, and it's quite possible that he could wrench a two-way spot away from Dix if Oklahoma City chooses to bring him in on an Exhibit-10 contract for the preseason.
But even if Dix survives that, he'll need to flash major upside on the defensive end if he wants to make it to his second season in a Thunder uniform. Oklahoma City currently has just one second-round selection in 2027, but it's not likely they ultimately hold onto all three of their potential first-round selections. Teams have accepted second-round capital in order to kick their first-round picks down the road in the past, and that's a route the Thunder could very well take in 2027.
Either way, though, there will certainly be at least one more two-way piece coming into the fold next offseason. If Dix wants to hold onto his spot, he's going to need to quickly gain strength and prove his upside at this level— otherwise he could quickly be searching for a new home.
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