The Oklahoma City Thunder’s newest member Svi Mykhailiuk has joined the team after being moved Friday in a package deal that sent Hamidou Diallo to Detriot for the 6-foot-7 wing and a 2027 Houston second-round pick.
Svi will be placed in the active roster for Tuesday’s battle against the Chicago Bulls; the hitch: his minutes are not guaranteed.
Oklahoma City will miss usual starter Lu Dort at the small-forward position however the recent budding of Aleksej Pokusevksi will garner the rookie upwards of 30 minutes in the game. Off the bench Kenrich Williams, Ty Jerome, and Justin Jackson will be vying for time alongside Svi, making it difficult to carve out a full-time role for the 23-year-old.
As Mark Daigneault announced pre-game, Svi will not be in the set rotation, however his availability for the contest makes his debut a potential scenario. For now, let’s call it unlikely, yet with Daigneault’s track-record of “exploring the roster” — expect the unexpected.