OKC Blue: D.J. Wilson Participated In Workout With Lakers, Looking For Return to NBA
The Oklahoma City Blue are fetching some NBA interest.
As reported by ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin, the Los Angeles Lakers conducted a free-agent workout on Tuesday, one of which being Oklahoma City Blue center D.J. Wilson.
Wilson was one of five members brought in for Tuesday’s workout, joining Langston Galloway, Kyle Guy, Alize Johnson, and Louis King for inspection.
After attending the Oklahoma City Thunder’s training camp last season, there was reason to believe the big man would switch G League affiliations or head overseas. Instead, the former first-round pick remained in Bricktown – and it paid off.
In Winter Showcase pool play, Wilson led the Blue posting 14.4 points and 9.6 rebounds. Once the Blue entered the tournament, the D.J. Wilson show took off. Across two contests, Wilson drove Oklahoma City to the Showcase Cup Finals, averaging 25.5 points and 12.5 rebounds before the Toronto Raptors handed him a 10-day contract.
Once released from his 10-day duties, Wilson became one of the most productive players in the league, recording 19.0 points and 11.1 rebounds in a 28.6-minute stint. In his uber-efficient statline, he torched defenders in the post, shooting 61.7% on two-pointers.
It appeared Wilson was NBA bound for good in March, returning to the Raptors for a third 10-day deal. However, a knee injury axed his 2021-22 campaign for good – prompting Toronto to look elsewhere.
He averaged 7.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in four games with the Raptors.
At 26 years old, Wilson is young in NBA terms. As the 17th pick in the 2017 Draft, Wilson was expected to provide a stretch four to the Milwaukee Bucks. However, his perimeter play didn’t carry over with consistency. While playing for the Blue, Wilson’s role stayed close to the basket as he was a dominant force on post hooks, alley-oops, and scores out of high-ball screens. Though not much of a three-point shooter, he did show prowess operating in the mid-range.
For aspiring contenders, especially those deep in taxes, finding solid role players on minimum contracts is a big part of the game. With Anthony Davis running the frontcourt helm and Dwight Howard in the free-agent pool, adding a player such as Wilson makes sense. He’s a fundamentally sound rebounder who can pop in the midrange or help on screens. At this stage, he’s a solid connector for a final roster spot.
Wilson is an unrestricted free agent.
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