Former Rutgers guard Caleb McConnell received his first NBA action as he participated in the 2023 NBA Summer League. McConnell did not hear his name called during the 2023 NBA draft, but the former Scarlet Knight didn’t need to wait long to begin his professional career. After being undrafted, McConnell signed an Exhibition-10 contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The former Rutgers star signed a one-year deal that can turn into a two-way before the regular season begins. If McConnell gets waived before the season, he can agree to sign with a G-League team elsewhere.
While with the Scarlet Knights, McConnell received two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors. He averaged 2.5 steals per game last season, breaking Rutgers legend Eddie Jordan’s steal record with his 221st career steal. He was considered one of the best defenders in the conference and the country.
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McConnell wasn’t the top threat on offense for the Scarlet Knights, averaging 9.1 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 39.5% from the field. Also, he struggled from three-point range, finishing 20.3% as a senior.
NBA: 2K24 Summer League
Caleb McConnell’s NBA 2K24 Summer League Stats, according to nba.com
| GP | MIN | PTS | FGA | FGM | REBS | AST | STL |
| 5 | 15.5 | 2.8 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 1.7 | 0.7 |
While playing with the Thunder, McConnell guided Oklahoma City to a 2-3 record, ranking them No. 21 in the Summer League standings. The former Scarlet Knight played in five games for Oklahoma City, averaging 2.8 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game, two assists per game, and one steal per game.
In the Thunder’s 100-91 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, McConnell recorded a tournament-high eight points on four of eight shooting. Also, he logged four rebounds, four assists, and three steals in 14 minutes of action.
In a 105-92 loss to the Houston Rockets, the Flordia native from Jacksonville, Florida, logged six points, ten rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block while playing 28 minutes.
McConnell saw only five minutes of game action in his final game, recording one steal before exiting the game with concussion-like symptoms against the Washington Wizards.
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