The 2024 Summer League has officially ended for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Players on the Thunder roster like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort will be gearing up to play for Team Canada in the Olympics. Everyone else in the Thunder’s organization will look to the 2024-2025 NBA season. In the hopes of building off last year’s success of being the youngest number-one seed in NBA history and winning 57 games. One of the last remaining questions for the Thunder heading into next season is, who will fill their final roster spot?
The Thunder had one of the best offseasons this year with the additions of Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso. Plus, the re-signings of Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe. They have catapulted themselves to becoming the favorites to come out of the West next year. However, even with them having one of the deepest teams in the NBA. Their final roster spot is still very important. Especially with their top draft pick Nikola Topic expected to be out for next season. The Thunder were one of the healthiest teams last year however, that might not be the case next year. Because of that, the Thunder might try to be strategic in filling out their final roster spot.
Who Should Fill The Thunder’s Final Roster Spot?
Keyontae Johnson
Keyontae Johnson is the most likely candidate to fill the Thunder’s final roster spot. He was their second-round draft pick last year and spent last year on a two-way contract. The Thunder renounced the rights to Johnson to be able to sign Hartenstein in free agency. Johnson did play for the Thunder’s summer league this year in hopes of getting another contract for them. He struggled early on but finished with a strong 20-point game in their only win against the Dallas Mavericks. The Thunder don’t usually give up on prospects they draft after just one year. Because of this, Johnson should be on the team next year whether that be on a standard contract or a two-way contract is yet to be determined.
Adam Flagler
Adam Flagler is just behind Johnson in being the most likely candidate to fill the Thunder’s final roster spot. Flagler was also on a two-way contract last year however, it came later in the year after playing well in the G-league. He was projected to be on another two-way contract this year but it hasn’t been confirmed yet which left the door open for being elevated to the 15-man roster. Flagler had a great summer league posting a 23-point game as well as a 20-point game before being shut down. With those strong performances and Johnson possibly not showing enough in the summer league, it would not be too shocking if the Thunder decided to reward Flagler with his summer league performance by giving him a standard contract.
Tyus Jones
If the Thunder want to look outside, Tyus Jones would be a great addition to their final roster spot. With them trading away Josh Giddey and with Nikola Topic most likely being out for next season. Outside of Shai the Thunder don’t have another playmaker that can get the offense flowing. They have other players who have playmaking abilities but lack a true playmaking guard. Adding Jones would fix that immediately and give them a playmaker to turn to when Shai sits. It is unknown what Jones’s asking price is or if he would be interested in taking a reduced role. However, if he is interested in doing both things the Thunder should jump and sign him.
Doug McDermott
Doug McDermott is another option for the Thunder to look to for their final roster spot. McDermott does have familiarity with the Thunder as he spent part of the 2016-2017 season with them. The Thunder have a bunch of young guys on their roster, especially in their reserves. Adding a veteran player like McDermott could be an option the Thunder decide to take. He wouldn’t play a ton, but could play in spurts here and there with his shooting ability. Mark Daigneault the head coach likes to run 11 deep in the regular season. He also likes to turn to shooters if the offense is struggling on a specific night. With that, McDermott in his limited minutes will still have an impact for the Thunder if they choose to sign him.
The Thunder could also look to add a big as well for their final roster spot. Outside of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, they don’t have another true center on the roster. Jaylin Williams is their third big but lacks the height that Holmgren and Hartenstein possess. They could very well add a big to add more depth to their frontcourt. Point Guard and Center are the two positions the Thunder lack great depth in. If the Thunder looks outside to fill their final roster spot, it will most likely be for a guard or big.
