The Oklahoma City Thunder have acquired Miye Oni and a 2028 second-round pick from the Utah Jazz, in order to make the trade work, the Thunder will also waive Gabriel Deck, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. With the Thunder waiving both Deck and Oni, the team has created a roster spot as the NBA trade deadline rears closer.
Deck’s weird tenure with the Thunder has finally come to an end. The 26-year-old signed with the Thunder last April and played in 10 games, where he averaged 8.4 points, 4 rebounds and 2.4 assists. But he has struggled to get any playing time this season with just seven short appearances.
Due to Deck’s age and inability to space the floor, getting consistent minutes with the Thunder was always going to be a problem. There’s always the possibility that a contending team signs Deck, like the LA Clippers or Chicago Bulls, whom both have shown reported interest in him before.
Oni went 58th overall in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft. The 24-year-old has spent his first three seasons with the Jazz, where he has averaged 1.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in 80 career games.
In a small sample size in the NBA, Omi has shown the ability to shoot the ball at a respectable level, shooting 33 percent on 115 career attempts.
It seems like the purpose of this trade is for the Thunder to gain an additional asset as they eat the remaining salary in exchange for a pick and the Jazz create some financial and roster-building flexibility.
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