OKC Thunder Summer League Profile: Gabe Brown
In the months leading up to training camp, the Oklahoma City Thunder have a major platform to showcase their talent in the NBA Summer League. While many players have their roster spot solidified, a handful of Thunder members will be competing for a training camp gig, and ultimately a roster spot.
Let’s take a look at Gabe Brown, who is among the players that will be interesting to watch over the next few weeks.
Player Bio:
Brown, age 22, played four seasons with the Spartans. Brown was a key bench piece under Tom Izzo in his first three seasons, but an increased role as a senior bolstered his stock and netted the forward All-Big Ten honors in the process.
At 6-foot-7, Brown is a small forward who lives on the offensive end. He’s a left-handed sharpshooter, who notably shot 38.2% on over five threes this season, and he carries some sneaky hops that carry over on both ends of the floor. The Ypsilanti-native thrives primarily playing off the ball, making him an interesting option for alleviating floor spacing.
The Oklahoma City Thunder inked Brown to an Exhibit-10 contract on Friday, placing him under a one-year, minimum contract that counts against the team’s 20-man offseason roster limit.
Roster Outlook:
Despite going undrafted, it is apparent that the Thunder have clear interest in Gabe Brown. While Sam Presti and Will Dawkins were fielding media questions post-draft, OKC Blue GM Nazr Mohammed was in the war room discussing Exhibit-10 deals. Early into Friday morning, the former Spartan was on board.
While it's unlikely Brown makes the final 15-man roster, there's a legitimate chance he may break into the team's training camp roster in hopes of a two-way deal.
Since tracking began nine seasons ago, the Thunder ranked 269 out of 270 in three-point catch-and-shoot percentage, nailing just 32.6% of attempts. As a career 37.9% shooter from deep, Brown has a skill set the team needs. At the small forward spot, he also falls into place for one of their rotational needs, too.
Brown has a unique archetype for an undrafted candidate and there's reason to believe he may have more gas in the tank as a late bloomer. As of now, Brown is widely under-the-radar going into Summer League play. However, with premier floor spacing, he has the chance to turn some heads in Vegas.
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