Mark Daigneault and Lu Dort in Attendance for J. Cole's First Game in CEBL

The offseason.

For the Oklahoma City Thunder, their offseason has neared the two-month mark, last competing in an April 10 meeting versus the Los Angeles Clippers.

In the case of rapper J Cole, The Off-Season marks his latest studio album, released last May.

Regardless of interpretation, both parties aligned Sunday evening.

The Canadian Elite Basketball League, known as the CEBL, has become a summer-time circuit for G League players, aspiring professionals, and overseas talent to continue to play during the summer. This season, the Scarborough Shooting Stars, based in Toronto, signed rapper Jermaine Cole to a contract. Last Thursday – he made his debut. However, the real stage presented itself on Sunday.

With a capacity of 3,500 fans on deck, the sellout crowd saw the Montreal Alliance top Cole’s Shooting Stars by a tally of 80-70. In the sea of spectators, two Thunder names were present – Mark Daigneault and Lu Dort.

Dort, who was raised in Montreal, Canada, has likely been spending the majority of the offseason back home in preparation for his fourth NBA season. In the case of Daigneault, his time in Canada is presumably short-term, as with the pre-draft process fully in gear – he’s sure to be all hands on deck back in Oklahoma City.

Dort and Daigneault’s appearance at the CEBL not only gives you sight into the continuous growth of the sport of basketball but also the ever-expanding talent pool. With a variety of top-tier G League players in Cat Barber, EJ Onu, and AJ Lawson, among others, and former NBA players such as Toronto Raptors guard Jalen Harris in the mix, there’s reason to believe the CEBL can garner legitimate attention from NBA scouts and executives – particularly in their G League department.

For the Thunder, in particular, it’s hard to envision any CEBL prospects wiggling their way into a 15-man roster spot. However, with the Oklahoma City Blue expected to endure a facelift over the offseason, scouting out CEBL prospects for training camp and G League spots would be vigilant on their end.

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