As per usual, the Oklahoma City Thunder kept their Summer League plans concealed far longer than most. Now, with a mere day before Summer League play, the franchise had released their long-awaited Summer League roster.
The team is comprised of 13 different athletes spanning from familiar NBA faces, G-League standouts, draft acquisitions, and overseas talent.
Theo Maledon headlines the Thunder’s roster as their lone 2020 Draft participant. Due to last season’s canceled Summer League, Maledon has not been supplied the opportunity to play in the Summer League circuit until this point. As a rookie, Maledon led the team in minutes while giving jolts of offensive excellence in his campaign.
All four of Oklahoma City’s draft selections in Josh Giddey, Tre Mann, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Aaron Wiggins will be in attendance for Summer League play. Giddey, age 18, entered the 2021 Draft as a point guard, but if he’s confirmed to be 6-foot-9, he’ll share rights for the tallest player on the roster.
Familiar faces in Charlie Brown Jr., Josh Hall, and Jaylen Hoard are set to play with the Thunder. Charlie Brown Jr. pillaged through two 10-day contracts for Oklahoma City before accepting a two-year deal with one game remaining on the season. Josh Hall and Jaylen Hoard logged a modest amount of appearances for the Thunder under two-way contracts. Though the futures of both are up in the air, their returns mark some mutual interest in negotiations.
Oklahoma City Blue risers Rob Edwards and Ryan Woolridge are inked to the roster. Edwards invigorated the Blue’s second unit as the go-to shot-creator posting 12.5 points a night and a team-high 44% clip from distance. For Woolridge, his buzz came late into the season culminating with a 15-point explosion to cap his regular season.
Jalen Lecque tacks onto an already loaded backcourt as a quiet return from Sam Presti’s shenanigans. Lecque, age 21, had been on Oklahoma City’s roster for a paltry six days during the last offseason following Chris Paul’s shift to Phoenix, but Indiana’s offer of TJ Leaf and a second-round pick pressed Presti into subsequently trading the guard.
Frontcourt pieces Oscar da Silva and Emmitt Williams fortify the roster. Oscar da Silva joins the Thunder from the undrafted pool out of Stanford. As for Emmitt Williams, his venture to Oklahoma City comes after a season playing for the Agua Caliente Clippers of the G-League.
Aleksej Pokusevski and Vit Krejci notably miss the Summer League roster after a season under the Thunder’s wing. As per Sam Presti, Pokusevski is absent from Summer League play due to him being tied to a personal plan while Krejci, though non-confirmed, is likely out due to a strenuous rehab as a result of tearing his ACL in September of 2020.
Oklahoma City Blue Head Coach Grant Gibbs will lead the Thunder during their time in Las Vegas while former Thunder guard Eric Maynor is to handle assistant coaching duties.
The Thunder will compete in five games spanning from August 8 to August 17 during the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League kicking off against the Detriot Pistons on August 8 at 6:30 CST.