Why Are the OKC Thunder Shuffling Their Back End Roster?

Over the last 48 hours the Thunder have made a flurry of roster moves at the bottom of their training camp squad which spans 21 players deep until the end of the week. Some spending less than a few hours technically on the team. Why is Oklahoma City making these moves? Let's break it down.

Oklahoma City started the transaction frenzy by waiving guard Jazian Gortman after he put up 9.8 points, 2.0 assists, 1.8 rebounds and nearly a steal per game in his four preseason game stint while shooting 50% from the floor after leading the Texas Legends in points a year ago in the G League.

The Blue traded for Gortman's G League rights this offseason and his training camp invite cemented his spot within the organization. This opened the door for Oklahoma City to ink a big man, temporarily.

The Thunder has signed center Viktor Lakhin. He appeared in a career-high 34 games (33 starts) during the 24-25 season at Clemson and averaged 11.4 points on 50.7% shooting and 6.4 rebounds in 23.6 minutes per game.

They then waived Lakhin and announced that they have signed guard Payton Sandfort. He appeared in 33 games (all starts) for the Hawkeyes last season and averaged 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 31.9 minutes per game.

These two transactions are a short stay at the varsity level for the big man and guard but secures the duo's G League rights for this upcoming season. Sandfort in particular is a player that Oklahoma City is high on but is rehabbing from shoulder surgery following his final season at Iowa. Once health, he will take the floor with the Blue as a shooter who the team believes has upside.

This is the same trajectory former two-way guard Adam Flagler had with OKC. The Thunder secured his G League rights as he rehabbed from a knee surgery on an injury suffered two days before the NBA Draft. Eventually, Flagler not only debuted for the Blue and helped guide the G League club to their first ever G League championship but inked a two-way pact with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now, his G League rights have been traded to the San Antonio Spurs as he remains in training camp with their varsity club before being shuffled to the Austin Spurs at the end of this week.

In another G League move, the Oklahoma City Blue announced they acquired the returning player rights to guard Isaac Nogues and forward Henri Drell, as well as a 2026 second-round pick, from the Rip City Remix in exchange for the returning player rights to guard Javonte Cooke, the team announced today.

Cooke was a bona fide bucket getter for the G League team a year ago and has really impressed in training camp with the Portland Trail Blazers. Now, he heads to the Rip City Remix. Oklahoma City first acquired Cooke's rights this time last year in a G League trade with the Iowa Wolves.