Oklahoma City Thunder’s summer additions will lead them back to playoffs

These players may find a role in OKC in the future, as they all could break out to shine as members of the Thunder.

Usman Garuba

Usman Garuba was selected with the 23rd pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, and after two somewhat uneventful seasons with the Rockets, they traded him to the Hawks this offseason. He wasn’t done moving there, though, as he was then re-routed to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

His main calling card is his gritty, active defense. At a sturdy 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, he provides some rim protection and post presence, but he stands out more so as a perimeter defender with his active hands that allow him to get steals and deflections and just be a disruptor on this end of the floor. He’s undeniably a positive defender, but what held him back from getting consistent minutes with Houston is his offense.

His offense is actually a very interesting case. On only 0.8 attempts per game last year, he shot 40.8%. This low volume could mean this shooting was just a fluke, especially considering many were open looks, but it’s interesting. If he can be a 35% shooter on higher volume, that would be very good for OKC and makes him legitimately a good role player. Because of his questionable shooting, the Rockets would put him in the dunker’s spot sometimes, but he was a poor finisher (62 FG% at the rim).

He’s quite strong as an offensive rebounder, interestingly enough, as he’s a quite active player. He pulled down 4.5 offensive rebounds per 75 possessions last season, ranking in the 95th percentile. There’s definitely upside with Garuba, and considering that he – along with TyTy Washington, Rudy Gay, and a second-round pick – was acquired for just Patty Mills, this is just a homerun flier for OKC to go with. If something can come with Garuba, great! If not, it’s all good.