Tag: Lindy Waters III

Lindy Waters III pens farewell letter to OKC Thunder after trade to Warriors

Lindy Waters III pens farewell letter to OKC Thunder after trade to Warriors.

After spending his entire life in Oklahoma, Lindy Waters III heads out west to start a new chapter.

The 26-year-old was shipped to the Golden State Warriors for the No. 52 pick of the 2024 NBA draft. The Oklahoma City Thunder used the draft asset to eventually move up to the No. 38 selection to draft Ajay Mitchell.

The Warriors have picked up Waters III’s $2.2 million team option for next. He provides Golden State with cheap depth it desperately needs considering how expensive the roster is.

This marks the end of Waters III’s time playing basketball in Oklahoma. He attended Norman North High School before he played four college seasons at Oklahoma State.

After he went undrafted in 2020, Waters III signed with the local Enid Outlaws of a semi-pro league. He then tried out for the G League’s OKC Blue in 2021 and the rest was history.

The sharpshooter worked from the G League squad to a two-way deal. He spent the next three seasons with the Thunder in some capacity. He signed a pair of standard deals with OKC over this tenure.

This past season was a career low for Waters III for playing time. He was buried on the depth chart. The Thunder likely would’ve declined his team option. Instead, they flipped him to a squad where he’ll get rotation minutes for a two-way flyer in Mitchell.

Despite it making basketball sense, there has to be some sense of emotional sting from leaving the Thunder. Waters III grew up a Thunder fan and has played locally his entire life. That now changes.

The 26-year-old took to Instagram to pen his goodbye letter to the Thunder.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C85Ocg3h5v1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

It’s a sudden change of lifestyle, but the Thunder and Waters III should be proud of the work they did for each other. An undrafted rookie was a hidden gem for OKC and has turned into an actual NBA player.

Waters III is one of the Thunder’s better success stories in recent years.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Mark Daigneault offers best wishes for Josh Giddey, Lindy Waters III

Mark Daigneault offers best wishes for Josh Giddey, Lindy Waters III.

Even though free agency hasn’t begun yet, there’s already been a roster shakeup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Two notable players who’ve been in OKC for years have been moved in recent weeks.

Josh Giddey was shipped to the Chicago Bulls. The 21-year-old asked out after he refused to come off the bench next season. He now gets a fresh start as a primary ball-handler.

The Thunder also traded Lindy Waters III to the Golden State Warriors in the first of several draft moves to add Ajay Mitchell with the No. 38 selection of the 2024 NBA draft.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault has close relationships with both players as they’ve been in OKC for the past three seasons. The Coach of the Year winner offered his best wishes to both individuals.

“I want to thank Josh and Lindy,” Daigneault said. “Obviously, we made those transactions recently since the last time I talked to you. Both great ambassadors for the program. Had a great impact on the program.”

Daigneault noted  — despite how extremely volatile last season — Giddey helped the Thunder ascend into a contender in the last three years as a starter.

“Josh was a high pick. Somebody that started his career with us,” Daigneault said. “Had a lot of production and a lot of influence over our playstyle and outcomes over the last couple of years.”

In terms of Waters III, Daigneault said he worked his butt off to be an undrafted two-way player to cheap depth for the Warriors, who picked up his $2.2 million option.

“And Lindy is a great program guy,” Daigneault said. “To take a guy that was basically a tryout player with the Blue and worked his way all the way through the program to the point where he’s now an NBA player teams want to trade for is aggressive.”

As the Thunder turn into contenders, expect roster turnover to be high. The only mainstays will be the trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.

“We’re going to miss those guys,” Daigneault said. “We’re incredibly grateful for the contributions they had.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Report: Warriors trade No. 52 overall pick to Oklahoma City Thunder for Lindy Waters III

In three seasons with the Thunder, Lindy Waters III averaged 5.3 points on 41.6% shooting from the field and 37.7% from deep.

After not having a first-round pick in the 2024 edition of the NBA draft, the Golden State Warriors have reportedly traded out of the second round of the draft.

With only holding the No. 52 overall pick in the 2024 draft, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Steve Kerr have reportedly traded their only pick in the draft to the Oklahoma City Thunder. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic the Warriors are trading the No. 52 pick for Thunder guard Lindy Waters III.

Via @ShamsCharania on Twitter:

Waters III has played three seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 5.3 points on 41.6% shooting from the field and 37.7% from deep. Waters added 1.8 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game. Waters III played 38 games for the Thunder last season, averaging 3.6 points in 7.4 minutes per game.

Waters III went undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 2020. In his final season with the Cowboys, he averaged 10.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. Waters III also played with the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Report: Thunder trade Lindy Waters III to Warriors for No. 52 pick of 2024 NBA draft

Report: Thunder trade Lindy Waters III to Warriors for No. 52 pick of 2024 NBA draft.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have traded Lindy Waters III to the Golden State Warriors for the No. 52 pick of the 2024 NBA draft, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

This gives the Thunder a shot to add another rookie to their draft class. They selected Nikola Topic with the No. 12 pick and Dillon Jones with the No. 26 pick in the first round.

This marks the end of Waters III’s three-season tenure with the Thunder. He was a two-way player for most of his time at OKC and was converted to a standard deal twice. He has a $2.2 million team option for next season.

The 26-year-old was buried on the depth chart last season and seldom played. He averaged 3.6 points on 47.1% shooting, 1.1 rebounds and 0.6 assists. He shot 43.5% from 3 on 2.2 attempts.

This is cheap depth for the expensive Warriors. Waters III has shown flashes of being a good shooter, which is always a hot commodity in the league.

Meanwhile, OKC flips someone who was likely going to get his option declined for a cheap second-round rookie. There’s a decent chance who they add will be in a two-way slot next season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Thunder recall Ousmane Dieng, Lindy Waters III following G League championship

Thunder recall Ousmane Dieng, Lindy Waters III following G League championship.

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Tuesday that they have recalled Ousmane Dieng and Lindy Waters III from the G League’s OKC Blue.

This comes a day after the Blue captured the 2024 G League championship in a decisive win over the Maine Celtics in the G League Finals.

Dieng received G League Finals MVP after he scored 25 points and grabbed six rebounds in the Game 3 win. Waters III totaled 15 points and 11 rebounds.

The second-year wing spent a significant amount of time with the Blue this season. The 20-year-old relished in the on-ball opportunities as the Blue’s best player. He continues to be a developmental project for the Thunder.

The first-seeded Thunder awaits their first-round opponent after the play-in tournament concludes on Friday. Game 1 at OKC will be held on Sunday, April 21.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Thunder assign Lindy Waters III to OKC Blue amid 2024 G League Finals

Thunder assign Lindy Waters III to OKC Blue amid 2024 G League Finals.

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Thursday that they have assigned Lindy Waters III to the G League’s OKC Blue.

This has been a common occurrence for Waters III, who was signed to a standard deal after starting the season in a two-way roster slot. The move gives the 26-year-old a chance to get consistent playing time.

Waters III is in his third season with the Thunder, mostly on two-way deals. In 36 games this season, he has averaged 3.3 points.

The Blue are in the 2024 G League Finals against the Maine Celtics. The Celtics are currently up 1-0 in the best-of-three series. Game 2 is set to be played on Thursday, April 11 at Paycom Center.

The 26-year-old should help the Blue’s odds of tying the series at one apiece. He’s averaged 21.8 points on 48% shooting in 12 G League games this season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Thunder’s Lindy Waters III assigned to G League’s OKC Blue

Thunder’s Lindy Waters III assigned to G League’s OKC Blue.

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Wednesday they had assigned Lindy Waters III to the G League’s OKC Blue.

This has been a common occurrence for Waters III, who was signed to a standard deal after starting the season in a two-way roster slot. The move gives the 26-year-old a chance to get consistent playing time.

Waters III is in his third season with the Thunder, mostly on two-way deals. In 31 games this season, he has averaged 2.6 points.

In eight games with the Blue, he has averaged 21.5 points on 48.7% shooting, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He’s shot 47% from 3 on 8.3 attempts.

This will likely be another short stint for Waters III, who could use some game-time action to avoid rust. He’s provided OKC with shooting depth throughout his tenure.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Thunder assign Lindy Waters III to G League’s OKC Blue

Thunder assign Lindy Waters III to G League’s OKC Blue.

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Wednesday they had assigned Lindy Waters III to the G League’s OKC Blue.

This has been a common occurrence for Waters III, who was signed to a standard deal after starting the season in a two-way roster slot. The move gives the 26-year-old a chance to get consistent playing time.

Waters III is in his third season with the Thunder, mostly on two-way deals. In 31 games this season, he has averaged 2.6 points.

In seven games with the Blue this season, he’s averaged 22.7 points on 52% shooting, 5.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He’s shot 53.6% from 3 on eight attempts.

This will likely be another short stint for Waters III, who could use some game-time action to avoid rust. He’s provided OKC with shooting depth throughout his tenure.

UPDATE: The Thunder recalled Waters III from the G League’s Blue after a one-game stint. He finished with 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting, 1-of-10 from 3, eight rebounds and three assists in their win over the Birmingham Squadron.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

OKC Thunder assign Lindy Waters III to G League’s Blue

OKC Thunder assign Lindy Waters III to G League’s Blue.

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Friday that they have assigned Lindy Waters III to the G League’s OKC Blue.

This has been a common occurrence for Waters III, who was recently signed to a standard deal after starting the season in a two-way slot. This gives the 26-year-old a chance to get consistent playing time.

Waters III is in his third season with the Thunder, all mostly on two-way deals. He’s appeared in 24 games this season, averaging 2.8 points.

In four games with the Blue, Waters III has averaged 22.5 points on 50% shooting, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He’s shot 51.5% from 3 on 8.3 attempts.

UPDATE: Waters III was recalled after a one-game stint with the Blue. He had 22 points on 6-of-14 shooting, 6-of-10 from 3, eight rebounds, two assists.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Thunder sign Lindy Waters III to multiyear deal

Thunder sign Lindy Waters III to multi-year deal.

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Friday that they had converted two-way player Lindy Waters III to a standard, multiyear deal.

After the Gordon Hayward trade, the Thunder had a pair of vacant roster spots. OKC elected to use one of the two spots to convert one of its three two-way players.

This is the second time Waters III has received a standard deal by the Thunder. They also converted him from a two-way contract last season before declining his team option and subsequently signing him back this past offseason.

The 26-year-old is in his third season with the Thunder. In his career, Waters III is averaging 5.4 points and 1.9 rebounds while shooting 36.8% from 3. This season, he’s averaged 2.8 points and one rebound in 21 games.

The Thunder now have one vacant 15-player roster spot left along with one vacant two-way spot. The other two two-way players for OKC are Keyontae Johnson and Olivier Sarr.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]