If the Thunder were indeed looking to trade Justin Patton, Tuesday night’s game could certainly attract some buyers. Or, it could be the game that persuades Sam Presti to keep Patton within the organization.
Patton scored 45 points in the OKC Blue’s win 149-140 over the South Bay Lakers. He also grabbed 13 rebounds to complete the double-double, along with nine assists.
According to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, Patton’s 45-point game is the highest-scoring game for any G-League player this season.
Thunder center Justin Patton, on assignment with the OKC Blue, has 45 points against the South Bay Lakers.
Highest scoring game for any G League player this season.
— Joe Mussatto (@joe_mussatto) January 15, 2020
He shot 61.2% from the field, hitting on 19-of-31 field goal attempts, including going 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Patton was on assignment to the Thunder’s NBA G-League affiliate after being with the Thunder on Monday night for OKC’s win over the Timberwolves.
Prior to Tuesday’s game, Patton was averaging 10.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.77 blocks in 27.4 minutes per game. He has played in 23 games for the Blue this year, starting in 22.
Patton had been the subject of trade rumors earlier this month when The Athletic reported on Jan. 2 that the Thunder “were likely to trade Patton within the week”.
That was before Nerlens Noel injured his ankle against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Since then, Patton has been back-and-forth between the Thunder and the Blue.
He’s appeared in four games for Oklahoma City this season, scoring five points and grabbing four rebounds in 14 minutes of game time.