Former Rutgers basketball guard Caleb McConnell was waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder a day after he had signed with the team.
With the release of McConnell, the Thunder can gain the G-League rights of him and assign him to their G-League Team, the OKC Blue.
McConnell, the two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Oklahoma City on the night of the 2023 NBA Draft. The contract is a one-year, minimum-salary NBA deal that allows the franchise to convert the contract to a two-way contract if that change is made before the start of the regular season.
The Jacksonville, Florida, native played with the Thunder in the NBA Summer League, averaging 2.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, two assists, and one steal through five games.
— Caleb McConnell™😈 (@caleb_mcco) October 19, 2023
While playing with the Scarlet Knights last season, McConnell averaged 9.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists through 28 games. The former Rutgers guard was known for his defense, averaging 2.5 steals per game with 71 steals, good for second in the conference last season. McConnell’s 2.56 steals per game ranked him No. 6 in the nation and No. 1 in the Big Ten Conference.
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McConnell completed the 2022-23 season by winning the 2023 Lefty Driesell Award for the nation’s best defender. Also, he captured Rutgers’ all-time steal record (221) by surpassing Eddie Jordan’s record of 220 career.