After weeks of roster movement within the Thunder organization, Sam Presti has continued to find any cavity in the roster to pan for potential gold — two weeks removed from the trade deadline, that’s no different. Per a statement from the franchise, Darius Miller has become the next veteran in line to receive an early exit, officially being waived Thursday night.
Miller’s waiving was set in conjunction to open a roster spot for Real Madrid forward Gabriel Deck. Deck will arrive in Oklahoma City in the coming days.
In the case of Miller, his release from the team instills the rebuilding nature Sam Presti has implemented over the season. At 31-years-old, Miller had little long-term future with the franchise, when you couple that when his impending free agency in the summer, he was likely seen as a one-year rental. With Miller’s release, he becomes the fourth player to be waived by the franchise this season, joining Meyers Leonard, Austin Rivers, and Justin Jackson in the category.
Miller was highly regarded in his stay with Oklahoma City, even being touted by Ty Jerome as “one of, if not the best teammate” he’s ever had. As one-of-three day-one players above thirty (Al Horford and George Hill being the other two,) Miller provided a mentorship role for the franchise while being content slotted outside of Mark Daigneault’s regular rotation.
Miller will bring the same level of veteran leadership and diligence to any team wishing to pursue him in the buyout market. In Miller’s 18 appearances with the Thunder, he posted averages of 4.1 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while converting on 40.5 percent of threes off 2.3 attempts per contest.