OKC Thunder Blog – Page 3 – NBA Blog

Thunder sign Adam Flagler to Two-Way contract

The Oklahoma City Thunder recently (Monday, February 12) signed guard Adam Flagler to a Two-Way Contract.

Flagler (6-3, 195) has appeared in 14 games (four starts) for the Thunder’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, this season and averaged 12.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 21.2 minutes per game, while shooting 42.0% from beyond the arc.

The Georgia native played three seasons at Baylor University, where he appeared in 91 games (63 starts) and averaged 13.0 points, 3.1 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per game. In his senior season, he was named to the 2023 All-Big 12 First Team and NABC All-District First Team.

Thunder sign Bismack Biyombo

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed forward/center Bismack Biyombo.

Biyombo (6-8, 255) has appeared in 829 games (351 starts) and posted career averages of 5.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.30 blocks in 19.7 minutes per game. The 13-year NBA veteran was originally selected seventh overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. In 2016, Biyombo set a Raptors playoff record by registering 26 rebounds against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In 30 games (27 starts) this season with the Memphis Grizzlies, Biyombo averaged 5.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.10 block in 23.9 minutes per game.

Thunder sign Lindy Waters III to multi-year contract

The Oklahoma City Thunder has signed guard Lindy Waters III to a multi-year contract.

Per the Oklahoman, “the move fills one of the open roster spots created by Thursday’s trade, in which OKC acquired forward Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets for three players (Tre Mann, Davis Bertans, Vasilije Micic) and two second-round draft picks.”

Waters III has appeared in 87 career games (one start) with the Thunder and averaged 5.4 points and 1.9 rebounds while shooting 36.8% from three-point range. Signed to a Two-Way contract on Aug. 18, 2023, he has seen action in 21 games with the Thunder this season and averaged 2.8 points and 1.0 rebound in 7.3 minutes per game. In six games (all starts) this season with the Oklahoma City Blue, he has posted averages of 22.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.83 steals in 33.3 minutes per game.

Hornets trade Gordon Hayward to Thunder

The Charlotte Hornets have acquired forward Davis Bertans, guard Tre Mann, guard Vasilije Micic, a 2024 second-round draft pick (Houston Rockets), a 2025 second-round draft pick (Philadelphia 76ers) and cash considerations in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder for forward Gordon Hayward.

Hayward (6-7, 225) has appeared in 809 career games (646 starts) as a member of the Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics and Hornets and averaged 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.02 steals in 31.2 minutes. During the 2023-24 season, he has appeared in 25 games (all starts) and averaged 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.12 steals in 31.9 minutes.

Originally selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Hayward was named a 2017 NBA All-Star during a season in which he averaged 21.9 points and helped lead the Jazz to a 51-win season. During Hayward’s collegiate career, he was named the 2010 Horizon League Player of the Year as he helped lead the Butler Bulldogs to the 2010 NCAA National Championship game.

Bertans, a native of Valmiera, Latvia, is in his eighth NBA season, which includes stops with San Antonio, Washington, Dallas and Oklahoma City. For his career, he has averaged 7.6 points, including a 39.8 percent mark from beyond the arc, and 2.5 rebounds in 447 games (40 starts). Originally selected by the Indiana Pacers in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft, Bertans has appeared in 15 contests this season, notching 2.9 points in 6.1 minutes per game. He played five professional seasons prior to the NBA with KK Partizan (Serbia) and Baskonia (Spain).

Mann, the 18th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, holds career averages of 8.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game across 140 appearances (31 starts) with the Thunder. He has recorded 3.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from 3-point range in 13 outings this season. Mann was a McDonald’s All-American in 2018-19 before playing two seasons for his hometown Florida Gators, where he earned All-SEC First Team honors as a sophomore.

Originally selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2014 NBA Draft, Micic played nine seasons overseas before joining the Thunder for the 2023-24 campaign. In 30 games this year, Micic has averaged 3.3 points and 2.5 assists in 12.0 minutes per contest. His professional experience includes stints with KK Mega Bemax (Serbia), Bayern Munich (Germany), KK Crvena Zvezda (Serbia), Tofas SC (Turkey), Zalgiris (Lithuania) and Anadolu Efes (Turkey). He is a two-time EuroLeague champion, two-time EuroLeague Final Four MVP and was named the EuroLeague MVP in 2021.

Mavericks, Thunder trade the right to swap a draft pick

In a trade agreement today, the Dallas Mavericks have agreed to the right to swap their own 2028 first-round pick with Oklahoma City’s own 2028 first-round pick in order to obtain a 2024 first-round pick from the Thunder.

Oklahoma City will trade the second-least favorable of the Houston Rockets 2024 draft pick (top-four protected), the Los Angeles Clippers 2024 draft pick, the Utah Jazz 2024 draft pick (top-10 protected) or Oklahoma City’s own 2024 draft pick.

Reflections from Chet Holmgren on Steph Curry

Per NBC Sports Bay Area:

Chet Holmgren proved himself a worthy adversary for the Warriors on Friday night, but it wasn’t the first time the Oklahoma City Thunder phenom has impressed Steph Curry on the court.

After Golden State’s 141-139 victory over OKC at Paycom Center in the NBA In-Season Tournament opener, the 21-year-old reflected on facing Curry for the first time after attending the SC30 Select Camp as a high schooler in 2019.

“First time playing against him in the NBA, obviously touched on it earlier but great players over there, and he’s one of them,” Holmgren told reporters of Curry after the game. “Definitely got to know where he is at all times. It’s a cool first full-circle moment, I guess you could call it, you know, going to his camp however many years ago it was and now being in the league with him and playing and competing.”

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Thunder exercise contract options on five players

The Oklahoma City Thunder exercised their third-year contract option on forward Ousmane Dieng, forward/center Chet Holmgren, guard/forward Jalen Williams and its fourth-year contract option on guards Josh Giddey and Tre Mann.

Dieng appeared in 39 games (one start) during his rookie season with the Thunder and averaged 4.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 14.6 minutes. He was selected 11th overall in the 22 NBA Draft.

Holmgren is set to make his NBA debut during the 2023-24 season after missing last season with a Lisfranc injury in his right foot. He was selected second overall in the 2022 NBA Draft after one season with the Gonzaga Bulldogs where he received AP All-American Second Team honors.

Williams was selected to the 2022-23 NBA All-Rookie First Team and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting after he appeared in 75 games (62 starts) last season and averaged 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals in 30.3 minutes. He was selected 12th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Giddey was named to the 2023 Rising Stars team this past season after he averaged 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 31.1 minutes. The four-time Western Conference Rookie of the Month winner was selected sixth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Mann has seen action in 127 games (31 starts) in two seasons with the Thunder and averaged 9.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 20.1 minutes. He was selected 18th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Rockets and Thunder complete Kevin Porter Jr., Victor Oladipo trade

The Houston Rockets have traded guard Kevin Porter Jr. and two future second round picks to Oklahoma City in exchange for guard Victor Oladipo and forward/center Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.

Per the Thunder, Porter Jr. will be “waived immediately.”

Oladipo (6-4, 213) is entering his 11th NBA season with career averages of 16.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.60 steals and 1.6 3-pointers made in 504 games with 397 starts. He appeared in 20 games for the Rockets during 2020-21 prior to being acquired by Miami, where he spent the past two seasons.

The two-time All-Star is one of eight players in NBA history with career averages of at least 16.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.50 spg and 1.50 3FGM joining LaMelo Ball, Stephen Curry, Paul George, James Harden, Jrue Holiday, LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard. Oladipo was the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2017-18 while also earning All-NBA Third Team and All-Defensive First Team honors.

Robinson-Earl (6-9, 240) was the 32nd overall pick by New York in the 2021 NBA Draft before his rights were acquired by Oklahoma City. In two seasons for the Thunder, he appeared in 92 games with 56 starts while averaging 7.2 ppg and 4.9 rpg in 20.7 mpg.

Over the past two seasons, Robinson-Earl was one of eight players who averaged at least 7.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 1.0 3FGM in fewer than 21.0 mpg. In 20 games as a starter in 2022-23, he averaged 8.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 1.2 apg along with 1.4 3FGM on 39.7% shooting.

In a related move, the Rockets have waived forward Matthew Mayer.

Thunder sign Olivier Sarr to two-way contract

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed forward/center Olivier Sarr to a Two-Way Contract.

Sarr (6-11, 240) appeared in 12 games (seven starts) last season for the Thunder’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, and averaged 12.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.42 blocks in 24.9 minutes per game. During the 2022-23 season, Sarr saw action in nine games (one start) for the Thunder and averaged 4.0 points on 50.0 percent shooting to go along with 3.4 rebounds in 12.7 minutes per game.

Thunder sign guard Lindy Waters III to Two-Way Contract

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed guard Lindy Waters III to a Two-Way Contract.

In two seasons with the Thunder, Waters III appeared in 66 games (one start) and averaged 6.3 points on 36.0 percent 3-point shooting to go along with 2.2 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game. Additionally, Waters III saw action in 29 games (26 starts) with the Oklahoma City Blue over the past two seasons and averaged 13.7 points on 42.7 percent 3-point shooting, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 29.8 minutes per game.