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Here are 5 NBA free agents who make sense for OKC Thunder
Well, the Oklahoma City Thunder are back to square one. They swung to add Spencer Jones. But ended up with a miss as the Denver Nuggets matched his two-year, $12 million offer sheet. He ideally would've filled the 15th standard roster spot.
Now, the Thunder remain with just 14 standard roster players. That happened when they traded Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal. Right now, OKC has $6.9 million to spend as it's underneath the second apron after a bundle of cost-cutting moves.
While OKC's attempt to snatch away Jones came up short, there are still plenty of other options to go with. The Thunder could always keep the final roster spot vacant, but let's entertain five NBA free agents they could add this offseason to fill up the last slot:
Lindy Waters III
The Thunder lost one outside shooter. They could add another in Waters III. Especially since OKC is familiar with him. He spent last season on the San Antonio Spurs as a third-string player. He averaged 2.4 points and shot 34.2% from 3 on two outside attempts. Fans should be familiar with his Disney-esque journey to carve out an NBA career. That started in OKC.
I think Waters III would be a safe addition. The Thunder would know what to expect. He spent three seasons in OKC from 2021-24. During that time, he was on various two-way deals. Since then, he's bounced around the NBA. You always need outside shooters. He provides that. The shooting percentages have been rock solid. Even if they're on a small sample size.
Bismack Biyombo
Speaking of familiarity, Biyombo could be reunited with OKC. He spent three months on the Thunder in 2024. He was added as a mid-season acquisition. In his brief time, he was a third-string center who was comfortable with just being a veteran presence in the locker room. Expect a similar role if they get back together. The 33-year-old is in the final stages of his career.
Biyombo has spent the last two seasons on the Spurs. He only played in 25 games this past season and averaged 0.9 points. Funny enough, San Antonio had three roster spots taken up by veteran big men in Biyombo, Mason Plumlee and Kelly Olynyk. At this point in his career, he's fine with seldom playing and is just trying to extend his NBA career.
Ochai Agbaji
Things haven't played out the way Agbaji had hoped for. At one point, he was viewed as a promising prospect. Now, he's just trying to keep his NBA career alive. He spent last season on the Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets. He averaged 5.1 points and 2.3 rebounds. The outside jumper is just not there. He shot 26.6% from 3 on 2.1 attempts. But he has solid size and has bounced around the league for a bit.
I liked Agbaji when he came out of Kansas. But it's clear it just hasn't worked out in the NBA. Some of it is his fault. The rest of it is just not having one NBA home for long. If you're the Thunder, you add him because of his talent. I wouldn't even consider him a flyer. But he'd be solid wing depth as a third-stringer.
Tony Bradley
Speaking of reunions, Bradley should be another candidate. He had a cup of coffee in OKC in 2021. Way back when they were still tanking. The only guy left from that team is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He's a journeyman center. He spent last season on the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks. He averaged four points and 2.8 rebounds. He should be comfortable with being at the back of the bench.
Just another center to add to your stacked room. Bradley can be an insurance plan in case injuries pile up. He's a solid bench center who can finish around the rim. That's all you can really ask for at this point of the NBA free agency pool. You'll know what you'll get.
Tyrese Martin
Martin has always been an interesting name. He's your classic underground name that has put up numbers in losing situations. He spent last season on the Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 6.3 points on 39.3% shooting, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists. I know he recently signed overseas with FC Barcelona, but he can always back out of that deal if the Thunder ring his phone.
As I said, we're really scraping the bottom of the barrel. If you're still an NBA free agent at this point of the summer, there's not much you can really offer on the table. But Martin has put up numbers in every situation he's been in. Albeit in an artificial sense. But he'd be another guard the Thunder could go with.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Here are 5 NBA free agents who make sense for OKC Thunder
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