OKC Thunder Las Vegas Preview

Following a 1-2 record during a stint in Salt Lake City, the Oklahoma City Thunder will continue its NBA Summer League with at least five more games in Las Vegas. As all 30 teams compete on the campus of UNLV, future stars will showcase their upside ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Who will be taking the floor for the Thunder in Las Vegas, and what should we be watching for?

Schedule

Each team will play at least five games in Las Vegas, with the chance of a sixth for the teams who make a run at the championship. To start, four games will be played by each squad, then the top four teams will advance to participate in the playoffs based on winning percentage in that first set of contests. The 26 teams that do not advance to the playoff will play a fifth game to round out their summer.

July  10: Brooklyn Nets | 4:30 PM on ESPN2

To kick off the Thunder’s stint in Las Vegas, the Nets will be the first team on the schedule. An extremely young team overall, Brooklyn will look to showcase its five rookies taken in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. As such, this will be an opportunity for members of the OKC roster to go up against premier young talent.

July  12: Indiana Pacers | 4:30 PM on NBA TV

This will be an NBA Finals rematch, though the rosters will look much different. As both the Thunder and Pacers look toward the future and sustained competitive success, NBA Summer League serves as a forum for younger pieces of the roster to start stepping up and proving they deserve more of an opportunity to play in-season, including Enrique Freeman and Johnny Furphy for the Pacers.

July  15: Orlando Magic | 5:30 PM on NBA TV

Orlando has several interesting young pieces on its roster this summer, notably with Tristan da Silva from last season’s rookie class alongside a pair of incoming rookies in Jase Richardson and Noah Penda. This will be a great test for the Thunder going up against three players expected to get NBA minutes this season.

July  16: New Orleans Pelicans | 8:30 PM on NBA TV

Following an interesting 2025 NBA Draft, New Orleans has a pair of lottery rookies in Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. Both have star upside if everything falls into place over the next few years, which speaks to the future potential of the Pelicans. It’s unclear if those two will still be playing by this point in NBA Summer League, but New Orleans has a talented roster across the board that will make this a fun watch.

Roster

Although Oklahoma City’s NBA Summer League roster is large, there are several key pieces who aren’t actually suiting up. That includes recent first-round pick Thomas Sorber, as well as Viktor Lahkin and Payton Sandfort.

Here’s the Thunder’s official roster for 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

Ajay Mitchell

Poised to take on a legitimate role with the Thunder this upcoming season, Mitchell will look to continue his phenomenal summer in Las Vegas.

Nikola Topic

As he works his way back into shape following a year off from basketball due to injury, Topic will benefit greatly from more reps following a great showing in Salt Lake City.

Brooks Barnhizer

Although he was taken in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, Barnhizer has proven he can contribute to winning at the NBA level with his rebounding and defensive intensity.

Jazian Gortman

Although somewhat undersized, Gortman is a fluid offensive weapon who can score points in a hurry.

Chris Youngblood

A surprise contributor in Salt Lake City, Youngblood has really impressed to this point in NBA Summer League as he battles for a spot on a roster around the league.

Malevy Leons
Entering his second Las Vegas stint with the Thunder, Leons is a fascinating prospect who plays an unorthodox game but is impactful.

Additional Notes

• Brandon Carlson is set to be back in OKC on a two-way contract again this season after signing a deal with the Thunder earlier this week. Even then, he’s dealing with an injury and it’s unclear whether or not he’ll get to play in Las Vegas.
• After playing last season on a two-way contract with Oklahoma City, Alex Ducas has officially inked a deal with the Brisbane Bullets of the NBL, which is where he will begin a new chapter of his basketball career following NBA Summer League.
• Given how much he’s already proven, it’s unclear just how much Ajay Mitchell will play in Las Vegas. He played a significant role in all three Salt Lake City games and may only play one or two games in this circuit.