Top five worst draft picks made in OKC Thunder history

Let’s look at the 5 worst draft picks made in OKC Thunder history:

The 2023 NBA draft is getting closer by the day, which means it’s time to look back and review the Oklahoma City Thunder’s short draft history.

Every team has swings and misses with draft picks, but the Thunder do an excellent job at utilizing their premium picks. And, they’ll have another at No. 12 this month.

Let’s look at the five worst draft picks made by the Thunder. For whatever reason, these five players never worked out in OKC.

For simplicity’s sake, this will only include drafts where general manager Sam Presti was the man in charge, which means the Seattle Supersonics will mostly not be in consideration for this exercise.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers finalize roster for G League ‘bubble’ season

The roster for Houston’s affiliate features several players with NBA experience, including Josh Huestis, Ray Spalding, and Kenny Wooten.

The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Vipers, who are the NBA G League affiliate organization of the Houston Rockets, finalized their roster for the upcoming 2021 season at the Disney World “bubble” near Orlando.

The Vipers’ roster includes returning players William McDowell-White, Shawn Occeus, and Ray Spalding. In addition, 2021 NBA G League draftees Armoni Brooks and Jarron Cumberland are joining RGV.

The RGV roster now stands at 12, including two-way players Mason Jones and Brodric Thomas. All are eligible to join the squad at the “bubble” site when the season begins in February. (That said, since Jones currently has a rotation role with the short-handed Rockets, he might stay with the parent organization at the NBA level for a while longer.)

The complete roster can be seen below.

Armoni Brooks  |  Guard  |  6’3 | 195 |   Houston, | Draft
Jarron Cumberland  |   Guard  | 6’5 | 210 |   Cincinnati, | Draft
34 Josh Huestis  |  Forward  | 6’7 | 230 |   Stanford, | Returner
9 Mason Jones*  |  Guard  | 6’4 | 200 |   Arkansas, | Two-Way
5 William McDowell-White  |  Guard | 6’5 | 185 |   California State, | Returner
42 Trhae Mitchell  |  Forward  | 6’6 | 196 |   South Alabama, | Tryout
18 Shawn Occeus  |  Guard  |  6’4 | 210 |   Northeastern, | Returner
21 Trevelin Queen  |  Guard  | 6’6 | 190 |   New Mexico State, | Affiliate
23 Josh Reaves  |  Guard   | 6’4 | 214 |   Penn State, | Affiliate
26 Ray Spalding  |  Forward   | 6’9 | 225 |   Louisville, | Returner
33 Brodric Thomas*  |  Guard  | 6’5 | 185 |   Truman State. | Two-Way
0 Kenny Wooten  |  Forward   | 6’8 | 235 |   Oregon, | Affiliate

*Two-Way Player

The returning player rights to Josh Huestis were acquired by Rio Grande Valley via a trade with Austin Spurs during the 2019-20 season, and he returns to the United States after a stint with Bayern Munich (German Basketball League) last season. Josh Reaves, Kenny Wooten, and Trevelin Queen are joining the Vipers as affiliated players.

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Trhae Mitchell joins RGV as a local tryout player after finishing his collegiate career at South Alabama. In addition, nine players on the Vipers’ roster have previously signed an NBA contract, while seven have previously competed in the G League.

The 2021 NBA G League game and broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date. For more information, visit www.rgvipers.com. .

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Former NBA forward Josh Huestis joins Houston’s G League affiliate

A 6-foot-7 forward who spent three seasons in Oklahoma City, Huestis will play in the G League this year with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Former NBA forward Josh Huestis has joined the official G League affiliate (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) of the Houston Rockets, per Nicola Lupo of Sportando. The 29-year-old played with Bayern Munich in the EuroLeague and Bundesliga last season.

The NBA G League will begin its 2020-21 campaign in February at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, similar to the NBA’s “bubble” format utilized to complete the 2019-20 season. The Vipers are among the 18 G League franchises who have committed to participate.

Huestis was drafted at No. 29 overall in the 2014 NBA draft by Oklahoma City. Known for his versatile defense, Huestis played three seasons with the Thunder and became a rotation piece during the 2017-18 season, averaging 2.3 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14.2 minutes per game. Of his 76 games played in the NBA, 69 came in that 2017-18 stint.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHJW4wQzNZ8

While Huestis will play for Houston’s G League affiliate and can be used as they see fit, the Rockets would have to offer him a separate contract in order for him to eventually become an option for the NBA team.

Houston’s two-way contracts, which allow two players to go back and forth between the NBA and the G League, are currently given to rookie guards Mason Jones and Brodric Thomas.

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