OKC Thunder Has Solidified Back End Of Roster

Since the implementation of the NBA’s two-way contract, the Oklahoma City Thunder has been one of the best in the league at leveraging those deals. Especially in a small market, it’s important to get as many players in the system a chance to play at the NBA level to evaluate what their future upside could be.

Given the Thunder organization has its G League affiliate in Oklahoma City, it’s been a luxury to have the option to quickly move players around both for practices and games between the Thunder and Blue. The organization also has a rich history of capitalizing on these two-way players, finding diamonds in the rough and ultimately converting those players to full-time contracts.

With the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams now have the ability to sign three players to these two-way deals, which is one more than the pair they’ve been allowed in the past. As such, rosters can include 18 players comprised of 15 full-time contracts and the three players on two-way deals.

While one of the Thunder’s two-way contracts has been solidified dating back to June’s draft, the other two spots were filled over the past week, as two familiar faces are back in OKC.

Which three players will be on two-way contracts with Oklahoma City this season and what do they each bring to the table?

Keyontae Johnson

Although an older rookie at 23 years old, Johnson has a ton of room to develop his game. With the opportunity to split time between the G League and NBA this season, he should be able to capitalize and improve quickly. One of the strongest players in the entire Oklahoma City system, he truly has a frame ready for the NBA at 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot wingspan.

In the positionless NBA, Johnson is a great fit. He’s technically a guard with the skillset he possesses, but has the size and tools to be effective against taller players and slide up to either forward spot. He’s also a fantastic athlete and a real lob threat both in halfcourt sets and in transition.

Keep an eye on Johnson’s perimeter shooting as a rookie, with that being a key swing skill that could determine how much time he spends on an NBA court. He shot nearly 40% from beyond the arc at the college level — including 40.5% of his 3.2 attempts per game at Kansas State last season — but will need to showcase his range with an extended 3-point line in the NBA and G League.

Regardless, Johnson has the potential to be an impact player instantly. He understands the game and how to help his team win in ways that don’t always show up on the box score. With the tools to be effective on both ends of the floor, he has what it takes to carve out a role with the Thunder as the season goes on.

Lindy Waters III

The first of two familiar faces that the Thunder is bringing in on a two-way contract is Lindy Waters III, who grew up and played basketball both at the high school and college level less than an hour from Paycom Center. Although he was on a full-time NBA contract with the Thunder at the end of last season, the team opted to decline the guarantee on his deal for the 2023-24 season earlier this summer. However, the door was never closed on bringing Waters back on a two-way deal, which is exactly what happened.

Known for being a perimeter shooter, over 90% Waters’ field goal attempts last season were from beyond the arc. While he wasn’t as efficient as he would have liked to be — shooting 35.8% from deep — the gravity he demands when on the floor really helped the Thunder’s spacing last season.

Waters made multiple 3-pointers in 20 of the 41 games he played in at the NBA level last season. Furthermore, he’s a career 42.7% shooter from beyond the arc at the G League level in his career. At 6-foot-6 with the ability to shoot over his defender and get hot quickly, Waters has the respect of opposing defenses as a shooter.

Given the importance of spacing for this Thunder team, it wouldn’t be surprising for Waters to actually play in quite a few games this season despite being on a two-way contract. Especially if there’s injuries to any of Oklahoma City’s wings, there will be minutes for him to earn. He knows the offense well from his time with the Thunder the past two seasons and plays within himself, knowing his role.

Olivier Sarr

Despite playing with the Phoenix Suns in NBA Summer League a year ago and signing with the Portland Trail Blazers last September, Oliver Sarr has only ever played regular season minutes at the NBA level with the Thunder. Once he steps on the floor for the first time with the team in the 2023-24 campaign, it will mark the third consecutive season in which he has played minutes for the Thunder.

Sarr has competed in 31 games in the NBA over the course of his career, notching averages of 6.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per contest. Although he hasn’t been a significant producer, the 6-foot-11 forward has actually been quite impactful in limited action over the past two seasons. Given the lack of size on the Oklahoma City roster and several key injuries in the frontcourt, Sarr has provided much needed size.

In the nine games the French forward played in last season, the Thunder went 5-4 while he individually posted a positive BPM (+1.6 average) in those contests. In fact, during the last game of the season, he played 42 minutes while notching a double-double that included 22 points and 15 boards.

While Sarr isn’t expected to be a regular part of the rotation for the Thunder, he does provide frontcourt depth in a pinch. He’s still only 24 years old and developing, so spending time in the G League with the Blue will also be a great opportunity.

It’s becoming more clear that Oklahoma City as an organization values relationships and committing to the development of its players. With two of the three two-way spots being taken by players that have been in the program for multiple years and have experience within the system, these pieces serve as potentially important depth in the grind of a long season.