Previewing Oklahoma City Thunder’s Potential Roster Crunch
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After facing a roster crunch last summer, the Oklahoma City Thunder appear to be heading towards another this year. The team currently has 10 guaranteed contracts on the book, three players non-guaranteed, and one club option that has yet to be picked up.
Additionally, the Thunder will also have to make a decision on whether or not to bring back Dario Saric for the 2023-24 season. Saric, who was acquired at the trade deadline in exchange for Darius Bazley, filled his role admirably as a floor spacer off the bench and is set to hit unrestricted free agency.
On top of all of that, the Thunder could be acquiring three or more players in the 2023 NBA Draft. They currently own just three picks in the draft — the 12th, 37th, and 50th pick — but could potentially make additional moves to acquire more capital or additional players before or during the draft.
Taking all of that into account, something has to give. The league only allows 15 players on a team’s active roster so if the Thunder decide they want to sign two or more players, someone else has to go whether that’s via trade or cut. General Manager Sam Presti would have to decide how best to proceed.
What transpires on draft night is sure to inform Presti’s decision-making process on how to move forward and who to keep. But since what happens is unknowable at this juncture, it’s easier to look at the potential roster crunch through the lens of projected long-term value as it relates to the Thunder’s current players, especially since Presti has repeatedly stated that building sustainable success is the target goal.
With that in mind, there are three players whose future in Oklahoma City might be in jeopardy this summer: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Lindy Waters III, and the aforementioned Saric.
Robinson-Earl, who showed some intriguing flashes of outside shooting and defense in his first two years, just hasn’t developed as hoped and could be a candidate to be traded or waived. To make matters worse for the Villanova product, Aleksej Pokusevsi, who plays the same position, appears to have taken a leap while others, namely Jalen Williams and Kenrich Williams are able to hold down the position as well.
While Waters did make a splash this season, knocking down 58 3-pointers and dropping 23 points on the Phoenix Suns, it might not have been enough to get the ink wet to sign a longer contract in Oklahoma City. The shooting specialist’s shot-making ability proved to be handy at times, but his age combined with the fact that Isaiah Joe just had a breakout season might have the Thunder choosing not to pick up his option.
Bringing back Saric certainly wouldn’t hurt as his intelligence, experience, and skill-set blend in nicely with the rest of the roster, but should the Thunder opt to draft three young talents, it’s hard to envision them carving out a spot for the 29-year-old veteran. Saric is certainly talented himself, but his ACL tear he suffered in 2021 seems to have zapped some of his mobility as a defender and could have a hard time making a case for himself over younger, healthier prospects.
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