Summer league has officially come to an end, as the Oklahoma City Thunder played a total of eight games.
The reigning champs rolled out a talented roster (even without Thomas Sorber), although the availability of players decreased as the summer league progressed. The NBA Summer League provides younger and inexperienced players with the opportunity to gain experience while also allowing teams to evaluate their talent.
Oklahoma City went 1-2 in Salt Lake City but turned things around in Las Vegas, going 4-0 and earning the second seed in the playoffs before losing to the eventual summer league champions, the Charlotte Hornets, in the semifinals.
The Thunder finished the summer with a 5-3 record. While wins and losses are far from the things that matter in summer league, the individual process for these players serves an essential purpose.
Here are five takeaways that we learned from the Thunder during the summer league.
Ajay Mitchell Should Play a Key Role
Before going down with an injury that kept him out down the stretch, Mitchell made an impact during his rookie season — showcasing his poise, scoring feel, disruptiveness on defense, and secondary playmaking off the bench.
Mitchell dominated the summer league, proving to be too good for it and a legitimate NBA rotation player. In six starts, he averaged 19.8 points, 5.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 46.9% from the field and 40% from three.
Ajay Mitchell’s final summer league game:
27 POINTS
7 REBOUNDS
4 ASSISTS
2 STEALS
1 BLOCK
9/13 FG
8/9 FTProved he was “too good” for Summer League & will be a key rotation player for the Thunder
— therealmaine.bsky.social (@therealmaine.bsky.social) July 21, 2025 at 1:40 AM
After recently signing a three-year contract extension worth nearly $9 million, expect Mitchell to play a bigger role and be in the rotation regularly for the reigning champs.
It Will Take Time With Nikola Topic
After missing nearly 15 months with a torn ACL, the Thunder’s 2024 first-round pick made his debut.
Topic showed flashes of what he could be and revealed that there’s a lot to clean up. Given it was his first action of organized basketball in over a year, there’s plenty to be encouraged about.
Nikola Topic’s Summer League debut vs the Memphis Grizzlies
7 POINTS
10 ASSISTS (3 TO’s)
2 STEALS
2/6 FG
1/1 3PHigh-feel guard + generates rim pressure at a high rate + his court mapping is something OKC lacks
Is the most advanced processor on this Thunder roster
— therealmaine.bsky.social (@therealmaine.bsky.social) July 21, 2025 at 1:54 AM
Topic playmaking immediately showed, being one of the best processors in summer league, although he did struggle with turnovers — 5.8 assists to 4.7 turnovers. He didn’t shoot well (33.3% from the floor and 20.8% from three), but the process was there.
Topic is a mystery box, and the path to becoming a legitimate NBA player is clear, but summer league has proven that it’s going to take time, as he needs the reps before contributing to this roster.
Brooks Barnhizer is the Ultimate Winner
Thunder GM Sam Presti may have found another hidden gem in Brooks Barnhizer, as the 2025 second-round pick did all of the little things, proving to be the ultimate winner during summer league.
Brooks Barnhizer made winning plays all throughout Summer League
Was remarkable in a win over the Indiana Pacers…
17 POINTS
6 STEALS (!!)
5 REBOUNDS
8/10 FGDoes all the little things. Has the tools to carve out a long NBA career
— therealmaine.bsky.social (@therealmaine.bsky.social) July 21, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Barnhizer is the ultimate glue guy, who brings infectious energy and raises the level of intensity, while having a nonstop motor on the glass, and is a very disruptive defender. During a two-game stretch, he had 13 steals, which set the summer league record. Overall, he averaged 10.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.6 steals, and 1.9 assists per game on 47.8% shooting from the floor. He impacts winning and has some similarities to Alex Caruso.
Perimeter shooting will be the swing skill for Barnhizer, as he only shot (25% from three on two attempts per game). He may be on a two-way contract, but he has the tools to be a key player for the Thunder eventually and carve out a long NBA career.
Brandon Carlson Should Be On a 15-Man Roster
Going from one two-way player to another, Brandon Carlson is surprisingly back in Oklahoma City this season. Surprisingly, he wasn’t picked up by another team, which is excellent news for the Thunder.
Carlson has shown the ability to produce at an NBA level, as the floor-spacing big showed promise during the 2024-25 season with the Thunder — followed by — an excellent summer league. In three games, he averaged 15 points, six rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 56.7% from the floor and 50% from three on four attempts.
Brandon Carlson put on a shooting clinic in a win against the Orlando Magic:
23 POINTS
7 REBOUNDS
2 BLOCKS
9/13 FG
4/6 3PT7 foot stretch big who’s on a bargain of a deal (two-way contract)
— therealmaine.bsky.social (@therealmaine.bsky.social) July 21, 2025 at 2:20 AM
It wouldn’t be surprising if Carlson slid his way onto a 15-man roster as the third center, as he would be a productive player in that role. Especially with incoming roster crunches due to the new CBA deal.
Chris Youngblood Deserves the Final Two-Way Contract
With Barnhizer and Carlson on two-way contracts, one spot remains.
Chris Youngblood took advantage of the opportunity and made a strong case for himself for the final two-way contract. The 6’4 sharpshooter from Alabama displayed a diverse scoring package with the ability to shoot it from the perimeter at an NBA level.
In eight games, Youngblood averaged 11 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 49.2% from the floor and 46.5% from three on 5.4 attempts. With shooting highly valued in the modern NBA and often coming at a premium, he’s the biggest stock riser for the Thunder this summer, and he is very deserving of the third two-way spot.
What a past month it’s been for the Thunder. Now, we enter the dead period of the offseason, as there are just over two months until training camp and the preseason begin, and around three months until the start of the 2025-26 season.
Main Image: © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
