OKC Thunder Summer League Roster And Full Two-Event ...

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Although the Oklahoma City Thunder have made a pair of significant win-now moves this summer in adding Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein, the franchise is still very keen on ensuring long-term success and developing its young talent. This is important for a team that wants to have consistent championship-level rosters over a long period of time.

After making three selections in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Thunder will now have the opportunity to see two of their newest rookies take the floor at NBA Summer League, with OKC participating in two separate events on the circuit. With three games in Salt Lake City followed by at least five more in Las Vegas, the Thunder’s upcoming rookie class will be joined by many other players as part of the team’s official NBA Summer League roster.

Who will be on Oklahoma City’s roster this summer, and when is the Thunder set to take the court?

Summer League Roster

The Thunder has officially released its NBA Summer League roster, which should be considered fluid. With Oklahoma City participating in two different events over the next few weeks, there are likely mapped out plans for each player and where they’re expected to earn the most playing time. In fact, there may be situations in which a player on the roster competes in Salt Lake City, but not Las Vegas — or vice versa.

Among the most notable names to keep an eye on include Ousmane Dieng, Keyontae Johnson, Dillon Jones and Ajayi Mitchell. Dieng is a former lottery pick with tremendous upside who is still looking to crack the Oklahoma City’s regular rotation. Johnson was a second-round pick last summer and was a standout in the G League as a rookie. Jones and Mitchell are both incoming rookies who will make their Thunder debut in Salt Lake City on Monday. From there, Malevy Leons and Jaykwon Walton are underrated members of the roster.

The primary omission on this roster is Cason Wallace, who will not participate in NBA Summer League after a phenomenal rookie season in which he played the sixth most minutes on the team. Furthermore, OKC’s recent No. 12 overall selection Nikola Topic won’t be playing due to his partially torn ACL that will require surgery as he’s set to miss the upcoming season.

Summer League Schedules

The first of the Thunder’s two NBA Summer Leagues is in Salt Lake City. It’s a three-day event stating Monday, taking place July 8-10 with just four teams participating — the Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies and of course, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

July 8: vs 76ers (6:00 PM CT) July 9: vs Jazz (8:00 PM CT) July 10: vs Grizzlies (6:00 CT)

From there, the Thunder heads to Las Vegas for the signature event on the summer league circuit, with Oklahoma City’s first game being on Saturday. All 30 teams participate in this event, which takes place July 12-22.

July 13: vs Toronto (7:30PM CT) July 15: vs Miami (5:00PM CT) July 17: vs Phoenix (7:00PM CT) July 19: vs Golden State (9:30PM CT)

Following this initial four-game slate, the top four teams will advance to the playoffs with a chance to play two more games. Every other team will have a fifth exhibition match to cap off their summer league slates in Las Vegas. This means the Thunder will have at least one more game after these initial four, but that won’t be determined until later in the event.

NBA Summer League is extremely important for players to really showcase their skills and play elevated roles they may not have in the regular season. Whether a player is on a full-time contract and hoping to earn a more prominent role next season, or a player hoping to secure a two-way or G League deal — whether in OKC or elsewhere — this is where they get a chance to prove what they can bring on the court.