Through the draft, free agency, and trades, the Oklahoma City Thunder have made additions to their team that will help them eclipse their 2022-23 win total.
The Oklahoma City Thunder finished their 2022-23 campaign with a 40-42 record, 10th in the Western Conference. They won their first Play-In game against the New Orleans Pelicans 123-118 but fell short of making the playoffs after the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated them 120-95 in the second Play-In game.
It was a major step for the Thunder, who finished with 22 and 24 wins in the two prior seasons. Despite being the league’s youngest team with an average age of 22.6, they finished top 15 in both offense and defense and were just one game away from reaching the playoffs.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made an incredible leap, finishing 5th in MVP, 2nd for Most Improved Player, and as a member of the All-NBA First Team. He made his case as the best downhill attacker and driver in the world. Head coach Mark Daigneault finished 2nd in the Coach of the Year voting, just as Jalen Williams finished 2nd for the Rookie of the Year award.
Not only that, but the versatile Josh Giddey showed signs of improvement, particularly in the scoring and efficiency departments. Lu Dort remained a tenacious on-ball defender and one of the league’s best in that department. Plenty of other role players, such as Kenrich Williams and Isaiah Joe, shined in their roles.
Next season, the Thunder will only look to improve. Not only should their young core who was on the roster last season improve and take strides, but additions that the Thunder have made this offseason may help them make the playoffs for the first time since their rebuild began in the 2020 offseason. Here’s who will immediately help OKC accomplish this goal.
These are the players who will attempt to help OKC return to the playoffs for the first time in a few seasons.
Chet Holmgren
Chet Holmgren was the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and after being out for the entirety of last season due to injury, he counts as an addition to this Thunder roster. Immediately, Holmgren is expected to jump in that starting center spot for OKC after many players occupied that spot last season: Jaylin Williams, Aleksej Pokusevski, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Mike Muscala.
Now, there will be a sense of stability in that spot. Not only that but Holmgren is expected to be better and more impactful than any of those players from his first day on the floor alongside Gilgeous-Alexander and company. His two-way impact will undoubtedly place him in the Rookie of the Year race, especially considering he will be on a team that will be looking to win some games.
Last season, the Thunder finished as the 14th-best defense in the league despite lacking a true rim protector, which is surprising when looking at the roster on paper. It’s hard to say that they had any elite defenders outside of Lu Dort, who is a complete lockdown perimeter defender but doesn’t offer any rim protection or event creation – such as steals or deflections. Sure, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander improved defensively, and Kenrich Williams and Jalen Williams are quite solid on that end too, but that doesn’t change the fact that OKC did not have a high-level rim protector last season.
Rim protectors are undoubtedly the heart of the defense. Jaylin Williams, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Aleksej Pokusevki all have their flaws defensively, but Holmgren could be entering the league as a top 10 or 15 rim protector. We saw the impact Walker Kessler had last season as a rookie, and it’s not impossible to see Holmgren enter the NBA on a similar level to that.
In three Summer League games so far, he has averaged 13.7 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 0.7 steals, and 3 blocks on a 51.4 TS% (43.8/11.1/66.7 shooting splits). It’s evident that he’s shaking off some rust, particularly on the offensive end. In his lone season at Gonzaga, he shot 39.0% from beyond the arc on 3.3 attempts per game. His ability to stretch the floor as a 7’1” center while also being able to attack closeouts and operate as a roller will do wonders for the Thunder offense.
Holmgren is the exact player that the Thunder were missing on both ends of the floor. There aren’t really any players league-wide that fit onto this roster much better, and he is going to do wonders for a team that will look to be a top 6 seed and avoid the Play-In. It really wouldn’t be surprising to see them take the leap to a top-10 defense, either.
Cason Wallace
The Thunder just selected Wallace with the 10th pick in this year’s draft, and despite being only 19 years old, he’s ready to impact winning right now. In his first Summer League game, he had 20 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals on 7-15 shooting while draining 6-10 threes.
His second game didn’t go so well when he had the ball in his hands more due to OKC holding various players out. He struggled, only scoring 8 points on 2-12 shooting (1-8 3P) and 3-5 from the free throw line. He flashed some on-the-ball potential with his playmaking though, dishing three assists out. It wasn’t a good game, but he was overtasked, and he truly is not as bad as he performed.
He is instantly a good 3-and-D NBA player. He shot the three ball at a 34.7% clip in college, but with NBA spacing, it’s fair to expect this number to be at the 35 or 36% level despite the three-point line being further. He can also attack closeouts at a good level and operate as a secondary playmaker on this end and run pick and rolls. For a team that struggled with great floor spacing last season, Wallace will be a welcomed arrival on this end.
And he’s even better defensively. He can immediately step into the league and be a solid point-of-attack defender off the bench for the Thunder. He averaged two steals per game at Kentucky, and his 6-foot-8 wingspan allows him to defend bigger than his height. He’s really solid at the end, and he probably joins the Thunder as the second-best perimeter defender on the team behind Lu Dort.
Wallace is essentially the perfect backup guard for this league, and I would be surprised if he doesn’t have an impactful first season given his play style. He adds to what the Thunder need.
Vasilije Micic
Micic joins the Thunder after a 14-year career overseas that began at age 16. He’s a decorated EuroLeague player, having two championships in 2021 and 2022 and the league’s MVP in 2021. During his MVP season, he averaged 16.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.2 steals on a 61.0 TS% (48.0/35.3/85.6 splits).
Micic will likely join Wallace as a backup guard for this roster. His combination of shooting and playmaking makes him ready to be a point guard day one in the NBA, and it would be surprising to see him struggle in this role considering his immense talent. He is likely one of the best players in the world to not step foot onto an NBA court.
He and Wallace will make for one of the more interesting and underrated storylines entering the season, as the Thunder have completely revamped their backup backcourt. These two complement each other well and should thrive together.
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.
TyTy Washington
As just mentioned, Washington was acquired for practically nothing. While Garuba spent his entire season with the Rockets appearing in 75 total games (just 13 minutes per game), Washington spent some of his season in the G-League, only playing 35 games with Houston. He genuinely shined in the G-League and has lots of promise coming to OKC.
In 23 G-League games, Washington averaged 24.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.3 steals on 59.1 TS% (44.0/32.4/82.6 shooting splits). He looked really good down there. The part of his scoring ability where he is most comfortable is in the mid-range, usually getting to his patented floater. Despite being only 21 years old, he has what is arguably a top 20 or 25 floater in the league already.
Outside of that midrange comfort, Washington needs to improve his scoring. Combining his numbers in the NBA and G-League, he shot 30.0% from three last season. His numbers really do need to improve in this area, and it is part of what holds him back on this end. Additionally, he isn’t a huge downhill presence at the rim, where he only shot 54% at the rim last season. This inability to shoot and score at the rim currently caps his overall scoring efficiency, ability, and upside.
Improving in one of these areas is key for him, and getting there from beyond the arc is what feels more realistic, considering (1) his good FT% and (2) his lack of athletic burst and pop at the rim. As for his playmaking, he is solid: not bad but not great.
Defensively, Washington isn’t incredible. He’s solid on the ball, and being 6-foot-3 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan gives him some promise on this end, but it’s wishful to think he’s going to be anything great on this end. Washington definitely has work to become a consistent rotation player for OKC, but his success in the G-League at a young age appears to be a good sign for his development. He’s a super high feel and IQ player, contributing to why I believe he can find success in the NBA one day.
Keyontae Johnson (TW)
The Thunder drafted Johnson with the 50th pick in this year’s draft. The Kansas State product has signed with the Thunder on a two-way deal. He likely won’t impact the Thunder in a huge manner this year, but he certainly has some intrigue to him.
He shot 40.5% from three on 3.2 attempts per game, so he definitely can provide value as a shooter on day one for the Thunder. He’s a good athlete who also has the ability to attack closeouts and get downhill toward the rim. This athleticism translates well to the defensive end of the floor, where his 7’0” wingspan enables good versatility despite only being 6-foot-5.
In his first Summer League game, he only scored 7 points on a 51.8 TS% (2-5 FG, 3-4 FT) but pulled down six rebounds and one assist. Where he shined was last night’s game versus the Rockets though, as he scored 19 points on a 63.8 TS% (9-14 FG, 1-3 3P, 0-2 FT), pulled down 5 rebounds, and had 1 assist.
He’s already 23 years old, but he’s certainly got the potential to become a solid role player for OKC, even possibly this season if injuries come to OKC. It will be quite interesting to see how he performs in the G-League this season.
Jack White
I didn’t know where to fit Jack White into this because he isn’t young, and he isn’t a veteran at age 25. He only played in 66 minutes for the Nuggets last season, as he played a majority of his season in the G-League.
In 29 G-League appearances, White averaged 18.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks with a 67.8 TS% (56.6/43.8/76.7 shooting splits). He was quite effective on both ends of the floor and incredibly efficient.
There’s a chance that White doesn’t even make this roster. There’s 21 players currently on this roster, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him as one of the players who doesn’t quite make the cut. There will be cuts and trades. Perhaps he gets one of the Thunder two-way contracts, as he remains eligible for such. His efficiency and two-way play gives the Thunder some intrigue.
These players may or may not play a role in OKC’s rotation this year, but they are older players who could bring a win-now attitude.
Davis Bertans
The Thunder took on Bertans’ bad contract (2 years, $33M remaining) in order to trade up from pick 12 to pick 10 to select Cason Wallace. He only appeared in 45 games for the Mavericks last season, only seeing about 11 minutes of action per game.
Bertans isn’t the player or shooter that he was in the 2019-20 season with the Washington Wizards, where he averaged 15.4 points per game while shooting 42.4% from three on 8.7 attempts from deep per game. With the Mavs, he just averaged 4.6 points on 39.0% from deep on 3.1 attempts per game. Bertans’ shot diet is essentially strictly threes, and if he’s knocking them down, he’s a plus impact player on the offense end. He could add spacing to this Thunder team.
The problem with Bertans is that he provides nothing else with his inconsistent shooting. He can’t really attack closeouts and go at defenders off the catch, as he’s a poor dribbler, mid-range shooter, and finisher. He is a bad defender. He needs to be shooting well to provide any sort of value.
It’s a decent swing for the Thunder. If they can get Bertans to hit some shots in spot minutes, it’s good. His contract is not attractive at all, but luckily only two years remain. They deemed it worth to take in order to get Cason Wallace, so let’s see if this gamble on Bertans can find any value.
Rudy Gay
Gay was acquired in the trade alongside TyTy Washington and Usman Garuba. Quite frankly, Gay is quite washed, and I truly don’t expect him to remain on the Thunder roster for next season. It would be shocking if he is in the rotation, honestly.
For the Jazz last season, he appeared in 56 games, playing 14.6 minutes per. He averaged 5.2 points per game on a terrible 47.5 TS% (38.0/25.4/85.7 shooting splits). Yes, he shot 25.4% from deep. He lacks any burst that he once had, and the only place he’s decent is the mid-post, where he retains some shot creation ability, but who wants to give soon-to-be 37-year-old Rudy Gay mid-post touches? The Thunder would much rather give touches to their younger pieces to give them the opportunity to grow.
He isn’t really a strong defender anymore, either. Essentially, if Gay is to stick on the roster, I think it is likely as a veteran leader role because I don’t see him as a valuable NBA player anymore unless he can regain his catch & shoot three point ability.
Victor Oladipo
Oladipo is only here because he is on the active roster, but there is a chance that Oladipo never plays a possession in an OKC jersey due to his injury that he sustained in this most recent postseason.
If he does play and is legitimately healthy, he can still be a high-level perimeter defender. His shot is shaky and inconsistent, and he can bring decent downhill juice to the Thunder. The guard room is just so crowded here that it may be hard to break into the rotation when coming off of an injury.