2024-25 Thunder player grades: Alex Reese

USA Today

a day ago

The calendar has flipped to August, which means we've officially hit the low point of the NBA cycle. The next couple of months are the driest part of the year. Everybody has headed to vacation and awaits training camp to kick off the 2025-26 season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to enjoy their NBA championship. They had a historic 68-14 regular-season campaign that eventually led to the franchise's first title with a 2025 NBA Finals Game 7 win. They'll enter next season as a favorite to be a rare repeat winner.
To reflect on their title run, Thunder Wire will conduct 2024-25 season grades for all 19 players who suited up for the squad at one point during the year. Nineteenth up is Alex Reese, who had a short stint on the Thunder:
2024-25 statistics:
Advanced stats:
Significant Percentile Finishes:
Contract:
Thoughts:
After bartending to keep his basketball dreams alive, Reese finally made the NBA. He was one of the Thunder's best storylines during training camp. The former G League player caught the attention of OKC. It was about time, as he went undrafted in 2021 and spent three years in other leagues.
The Thunder liked what they saw from Reese enough to add him to the standard. That happened in the wake of Isaiah Hartenstein's fractured hand in preseason, which would cost him the first month of the regular season. Even though his stay was short, he finally received a cup of coffee after working in the background to get to this point.
Reese appeared in just one game. He scored his first NBA points in it. Afterward, the Thunder ensured he received the game ball for the special occasion. It was those types of thoughtful moves that helped OKC's chemistry grow. It might be cheesy, but those types of intangibles matter for an NBA champion.
While the Thunder moved on from Reese, he landed elsewhere. He signed a two-way deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. Considering how depleted they were with injuries in a lost season, he received more opportunities there. He helped them land one of the league's worst records.
Moving Forward:
After an eventful first season in the NBA, Reese remains unsigned. If this is it for him at this level, he made out better than most. The 26-year-old spent a year on the Thunder and Sixers after he went undrafted in 2021. Most guys at his spot would've washed out years ago.
Reese has some decent size and can shoot the ball from the outside a little. But he's stuck in forward/center tweener purgatory. There's no real path for him to have an extensive NBA career, but at least he carved out a season with two teams and landed a two-way deal.
Reese had a solid story on his NBA journey. To work a different job to pay the bills is something that most fans can relate to. It made it easy to root for him to succeed. All things considered, he had a successful trip. The fact that he even made a roster is an accomplishment in itself.
The Thunder needed centers after they juggled through injuries. Reese provided some insurance that was never really needed in his short stay. Now, he should have a good shot to play in the G League with his NBA experience. It'll likely be up to him to see if that's something that interests him.
Final Grade: D