OKC Thunder Undrafted Role Players Turn in Solid Showing Against Denver

A handful of former undrafted players helped Oklahoma City nearly get a win against the Nuggets.

Feb 12, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Buddy Boeheim checks into the game against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half at Paycom Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Oklahoma City Thunder turned in the team's best showing of the 2026 NBA Summer League on Tuesday, July 14, nearly coming away with a victory against the Denver Nuggets.

OKC fell 106-103, as rookie second-round pick scored a game-high 32 points for the Nuggets.

Despite the loss, the Thunder's young players notched encouraging performances. Aday Mara, the No. 12 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists while shooting 6-of-6 from the field and No. 16 pick Bennett Stirtz logged a team-high 22 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, a steal and a block.

Stirtz found Mara multiple times for open looks, showcasing an impressive chemistry between the duo that has grown throughout their time playing together this summer.

Even 2025 second-round pick Brooks Barnhizer finished with a double-double in the loss. Alongside the aforementioned players, a handful of undrafted players from the 2026 class and previous classes had strong showings for the Thunder.

Josh Dix, who went undrafted in 2026 but signed a two-way deal with Oklahoma City, tallied 14 points, 6 rebounds, an assist and a block while shooting 5-of-10 from the field, 2-of-7 from 3-point range and 1-of-1 from the free throw line.

Dix spent the first three seasons of his NCAA career at Iowa before transferring to Creighton for his senior season. At Iowa, Dix was teammates with Payton Sandfort, who spent part of his rookie season on a two-way contract with OKC after going undrafted in 2025.

Sandfort was wavied by the Thunder following the 2025-26 campaign, but is still playing on OKC's Summer League roster and has a chance to earn a spot within the organization once again. Against Denver, the former undrafted free agent recorded 19 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a block while shooting 7-of-18 from the field, 2-of-8 from beyond the arc and 3-of-3 from the free throw line.

Buddy Boeheim, who was in the starting lineup against the Nuggets, chipped in 10 points, a rebound, an assist and zero turnovers while shooting 4-of-5 from the field and 2-of-3 from deep. Boeheim went undrafted in 2022 and spent the first two seasons of his career with the Motor City Cruise before playing the past two seasons with the OKC Blue.

Nate Johnson, an undrafted guard in the 2026 class from Kansas State, also had a strong performance. The former MAC Defensive Player of the Yeat scored just 6 points while shooting 3-of-4 from the field, but added 2 rebounds, an assist and 4 steals.