OKC Thunder Salt Lake City Preview

NBA Summer League is back again for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Just days removed from the 2025 NBA Draft, it’s the first chance to see the newest rookies in action across the league, even outside of the Thunder’s talented group.

Before heading to Las Vegas for the main Summer League event, the Thunder will once again participate in the Salt Lake City Summer League. Just as it has in years past, this circus features a four-team format with three games each, where Oklahoma City will face off against the Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, and Philadelphia 76ers.

Who will be taking the floor for the Thunder in Salt Lake City, and what should we be watching for?

Schedule

The four teams competing in Salt Lake City will play the other three once each, meaning three games for each squad. This summer’s event is spread out over four days, but even then, there should be quite a bit of lineup variability, especially with a five-game slate in Las Vegas on the schedule next.

July  5: Memphis Grizzlies | 6:00 PM on ESPNU

This will be arguably the best contest of the Salt Lake City stint for Oklahoma City, mostly due to the anticipation. There’s nothing better than getting to see a new player in the system for the first time. The Grizzlies will be competitive this summer, with a roster headlined by rookie Cedric Coward and an intriguing cast that includes GG Jackson, Jaylen Wells and Javon Small. With that in mind, it’s still unclear which of these key players will actually take the floor due to several injuries.

July  7: Philadelphia 76ers | 6:00 PM on ESPN

After a disappointing season, the Sixers will have a chance to take a huge step forward this season. It will be a tall task, but incoming rookie VJ Edgecombe expects to slot into the rotation immediately despite being drafted just over a week ago. His first opportunities to shine ahead of the upcoming season will be in Salt Lake City, as he joins Adem Bona, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Justin Edwards, Johni Broome, Ian Almansa and Hunter Sallis on this young and loaded roster.

July  8: Utah Jazz | 8:00 PM on ESPN+

The host team of this entire event, the Jazz will boast one of the most polarizing players in the entire NBA as Ace Bailey makes his debut in Utah. A player with superstar upside, he’s already had an interesting first few weeks in the league. He will be joined by fellow rookies Walter Clayton Jr. and John Tonje, along with returning players in Taylor Hendricks, Isaiah Collier, Kyle Filipowski and Cody Williams. This is one of the most talented young teams in the NBA, so the opportunity for them to develop this summer is important.

Roster

Though a talented roster overall, this may be one of the more underwhelming squads the Thunder has rolled out in recent seasons. That’s largely a function of being a championship team, and one without a top pick unlike some recent seasons as the team was rebuilt. There are exciting players, but outside of Nikola Topic finally making his way to the floor, the flashy star upside doesn’t exist in this particular group. Even then, this should be a competitive team all summer.

Here’s the full roster for the Thunder’s NBA Summer League:

• Zack Austin
• Brooks Barnhizer
• Ty Brewer
• Cameron Brown
• Branden Carlson
• Alex Ducas
• Cesare Edwards
• Jazian Gortman
• Viktor Lakhin
• Maley Leons
• Ajay Mitchell
• Erik Reynolds II
• Payton Sandfort
• Mady Sissoko
• Thomas Sorber
• Nikola Topić
• Kerwin Walton
• Hason Ward
• Chris Youngblood

Key Players

Nikola Topic

Ready to make his Thunder debut, Topic will be among the most anticipated players this summer across the league.

Ajay Mitchell

After carving out a role as a rookie, Mitchell will look to take another step forward as a leader and primary playmaker with OKC this summer.

Brooks Barnhizer

After being selected by the Thunder in the second round, Barnhizer needs to showcase his hard-nosed style of play in his first few games.

Alex Ducas

Fighting for another two-way contract, this is a pivotal summer for Ducas and his time in OKC.

Brandon Carlson

Coming off a quietly impressive season with the Thunder, Carlson is a likely candidate to earn another two-way spot with the team in the 2025-26 campaign.

Jazian Gortman

Although undersized, Gortman will look to showcase his talent with the Thunder after spending last season in the Dallas Mavericks’ organization.

Malevy Leons

Back with the Thunder again in NBA Summer League this year, Leons will likely earn quality minutes, especially as the next few weeks go on.

Additional Notes

• Once the Thunder wraps up its contest against the Jazz on Tuesday, Oklahoma City will then travel to Las Vegas for a minimum of five more NBA Summer League games, starting with the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.
• Several of the most intriguing players on the Thunder’s NBA Summer League roster won’t be taking the floor due to injury. This includes recent No. 15 overall pick Thomas Sorber, as well as Payton Sandfort and Viktor Lakhin.
• The Thunder historically has leveraged very different lineups and played contrasting personnel in the two different summer league circuits. As such, don’t be surprised if there’s little consistency in the next few weeks.