Two former Thunder players are on NBA Finals rosters

Two Los Angeles Lakers players set to participate in the NBA Finals have played for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

And then there were two.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat got through their respective playoff gauntlets and are set to begin the 2020 NBA Finals on Wednesday.

While the Oklahoma City Thunder lost in the first round, there are two former Thunder players between the two teams who will play for the championship.

One is Lakers forward Markieff Morris, who was picked up off the buyout market in 2019.

He was expected to be a tough player who could provide 3-point shooting and take minutes from Patrick Patterson. Morris was rather unproductive on the court, though, averaging 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds, though his 38.6% shooting behind the arc was much-needed.

He only played 16.1 minutes per game, about 10 fewer than he had with the Washington Wizards in the first half of the season. It was something he expressed frustration with after the season.

Morris did not re-sign with the Thunder after that season, instead gong to the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons bought out his contract this season, and Morris signed with the Lakers.

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The other player is Dion Waiters. The Thunder acquired Dion Waiters in January 2015 in exchange for Lance Thomas and a protected first-round pick that turned into Furkan Korkmaz.

Waiters had failed to reach his anticipated potential during his short time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but with just 2.5 years passing since he had entered the NBA, there was still hype surrounding the fourth pick in the 2012 draft.

He played in 125 games over a season and a half for the Thunder, averaging 10.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 28.6 minutes per game.

Waiters signed with the Heat that offseason.

Ironically enough, Waiters is now set to play against his former team which he played a little more than three seasons with.

There are no former Thunder players on Miami in the Finals.

The first four Finals games are scheduled to take place Wednesday, Friday, Sunday and Oct. 6. Games 5, 6 and 7 are scheduled for Oct. 9, 11 and 13, respectively, should the game be necessary.