NBA Summer League: Takeaways From OKC Thunder's Eight-Game Slate
Another successful NBA Summer League stint has officially come to an end, as the Oklahoma City Thunder packed eight games into its slate of action. The Thunder rolled out a roster loaded with talent, but the availability of players fluctuated as the weeks went on.
Even for a team like the Thunder, who just won a title, NBA Summer League is essential. For starters, this is an opportunity for some of the young and inexperienced players to gain experience on the court, as some will be called upon to be in the rotation this season. Furthermore, the Thunder has a rich history of finding legitimate contributors with its two-way deals, and both of the team's players on those contracts competed this summer. The third two-way spot is still up for grabs, which is another reason NBA Summer League was so valuable, as the team evaluates players from all around the league in this setting to see who might be the best fit.
Oklahoma City went 1-2 in Salt Lake City, but quickly turned a corner as the team kicked off play in Las Vegas. The Thunder started off that second stretch of action with a 4-0 record, ultimately earning the second seed in the playoffs. But in the semifinal round, the Thunder suffered a 29-point loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
While a 5-3 record is great, the things that matter in NBA Summer League transcend the standings. In general, this is a forum that is much more individualized, but serves a very important purpose.
What were the biggest takeaways and learnings from the Thunder's NBA Summer League stint?
Ajay Mitchell Should Play Key Role
Although his rookie season lost some momentum due to an injury that kept him out down the stretch of the regular season, Mitchell was undoubtedly one of the best rookies in last year's class. He truly made an impact on winning, showcasing disruptive defense and secondary playmaking off the bench.
In NBA Summer League, he took things to a whole new level. He proved that he's a legitimate NBA rotation player by consistently dominating competition, and at times looking too good to even be out there. Year two will be big for Mitchell, as he'll be asked to step up and play an even bigger role as OKC looks to repeat as champions.
Rookie Nikola Topic Will Need Reps
After being a likely top-five pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, a knee injury hurt his draft stock, and he fell to the Thunder at No. 12 overall. Now, over a year later, and with a fully repaired ACL, Topic took the floor in NBA Summer League. There's plenty for the 19-year-old to clean up, but given it had been nearly 18 months since he had played organized basketball, this summer was wildly impressive.
Topic was one of the most productive passers in the entire league this summer, though he did struggle with turnovers as well. He didn't convert on his shots at a high rate, but the process was certainly there. Topic has a clear path to being a starting-level NBA guard, but this summer proved that he's going to need a lot of reps before that happens.
Second-Round Pick Brooks Barnhizer Can Impact Winning
Thunder GM Sam Presti is so good at winning on the margins, and he may have done it again with Brooks Barnhizer. A second-round pick from the 2025 NBA Draft on a two-way contract, he was the ultimate winner this summer.
Barnhizer is a monster on the glass, a disruptive defender and overall just an energetic glue guy who plays with a different level of infectious intensity. When he's on the floor, good things happen. He's not a primary scorer or a prospect with star upside, but there's no question he has the tools to one day be a very important player on the Thunder's roster.
Brandon Carlson Has 15-Man Roster Upside
Speaking of two-way players with the ability to produce at the NBA level, Brandon Carlson is back in Oklahoma City this season. As good as he was last season, it's somewhat surprising that he wasn't picked up by another team this offseason. But that's great for the Thunder, as the floor-spacing, shot-blocking center is back with the team yet again.
This time last season, Carlson was viewed as a player with interesting potential, but was much older relative to his peers and perhaps not a bona fide NBA talent. But after his excellent 2024-25 campaign, followed by a fantastic — though short — NBA Summer League stint, there's reason to believe Carlson could be with the Thunder for many more years. Especially as the roster gets crunched in the upcoming season due to extensions kicking in and finances getting tighter, Carlson could slide onto the 15-man roster as the third center on a cheap deal and would be very good in that role.
A Two-Way Contract Could be in Chris Youngblood's Future
With Barnhizer and Carlson locked into two-way deals, there's still one spot left. Just a few weeks ago, Victor Lahkin and Payton Sandfort looked like potential candidates for that slot, but were still injured and couldn't even compete in NBA Summer League.
With that in mind, Chris Youngblood took the opportunity to make a strong case for that third spot in Las Vegas. The dynamic guard burst onto the scene for Oklahoma City over the past two weeks, showcasing a diverse scoring arsenal and a very reliable perimeter shot. He may have been the Thunder's biggest riser of the summer, which could be worthy of a two-way spot.
From here, it will be a slower period of time until training camp begins and the preseason comes around. That will be late September, meaning there are roughly two more months until the action is back.
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