The Oklahoma City Thunder began their Summer League on July 8th in Salt Lake City. This was the three-game, three-night event. In Salt Lake City the Thunder ended up going 2-1 in those three games. They got victories over the Utah Jazz, and Memphis Grizzlies, and their one loss was to the Philadelphia 76ers. After Salt Lake City, they traveled down to Las Vegas for the NBA 2K25 Summer League.
So far they have only played two games in Vegas, losing that game 94-69 to the Toronto Raptors and losing 102-73 to the Miami Heat. Now with only one more week remaining for the Thunder’s summer league, it is time to look at some early takeaways. There has been a lot to like from what the Thunder have shown so far, as well as some question marks still to be answered.
OKC Thunder Summer League: Early Takeaways
Ousmane Dieng’s Growth
The Thunder decided not to have Ousmane Dieng play in the Las Vegas Summer League and just play in the Salt Lake one. With this decision, the Thunder saw enough from the three-year player to shut him down for the Summer League. In the three games that Dieng did play, he averaged 15.7 points, five rebounds, and six assists. For those three games, he picked up where he left off last year in the G-league.
Dieng played like a three-year vet in the summer league. However, the Thunder probably wished he showed more consistency in the three games. There was only one game he shot above 40% from the field. Although he struggled from the field, his three-point shooting was a lot better where he shot 40% in those three games. Ousmane Dieng has all the tools to be a productive player in the league, and he hopes to hopefully put it all together in a very important year three for him.
Dillon Jones Versatility
The lone first-round pick for the Thunder that will play any sort of minutes this year, has put his stamp all over the summer league. The Thunder drafted Dillon Jones with the 26th pick in this year’s draft because of his versatility. He has shown why the Thunder drafted him with his play so far in the summer league. His ability to pass, rebound, handle the ball, and score has been very evident in the summer league.
Dillon Jones didn’t shoot the three-ball particularly well at Weber State which was an area of concern. However, in these five games, he has shown the potential of being able to be a reliable perimeter shooter in the NBA. If Jones can continue his growth as a three-point shooter and as a defender this year. To go along with the versatility he possesses on the offensive end, he could very well be a constant rotational player for the Thunder.
Ajay Mitchell Continues to Impress
Ajay Mitchell who was the lone second-round pick for the Thunder, continues to impress in the summer league. While he hasn’t been as impressive as Jones, there is still a lot to like. Mitchell has shown his playmaking ability, especially against the Jazz where he had 10 assists. His playmaking ability was a big part of why the Thunder selected him in the second round. Notably, Mitchell also had a 20-point outing against the Heat.
Just like Jones, Mitchell wasn’t the best perimeter shooter in college. However, he has shown promise of growth so far in the summer league where he has shot around 35% from three. Mitchell, unlike Jones, is going to be on a two-way contract and will spend the majority of his rookie year in the G-league. Regardless, if Mithell can continue to grow on defense, as a shooter, and playmaker. He could very well be one of those second-round players who turn into a very productive role player.
Are Adam Flagler and Keyontae Johnson Battling for the Final Roster Spot?
With the recent retirement of Mike Muscala. Keyontae Johnson and Adam Flagler seem like the front-runners for the Thunder’s last roster spot. Both players were on a two-way contract last year. Right now as it stands Flagler is going to be on a two-way contract again this year, and Johnson doesn’t have a contract from the Thunder yet. Johnson has struggled a little bit for the Thunder in the games he has played in the summer league. There has only been one game where he scored over 10 points, which is an area the Thunder had hoped to see some growth from him.
Whereas Flagler has shown solid growth from last year. In the first game, he dropped 18 points shooting 6-14 from the three-point line. Most recently in Las Vegas, he scored 23 points shooting 6-7 from deep against the Raptors, and notched 20 points against the Heat. If Flagler continues to play at this high level, the Thunder may very well reward him with a standard contract. Whereas Johnson has been a well-rounded player notably he has been great as a defender, and rebounder. However, he has struggled a little bit as a scorer. It doesn’t seem like the Thunder are done with Johnson as a prospect quite yet. It may be in their best interest to sign Flagler to a standard contract and put Johnson back on a two-way contract to develop him more.
