Talk about a roller coaster start to the season. On Friday morning, Shams Charania announced that the Oklahoma City Thunder would sign free agent Ochai Agbaji. Then, the following morning, the offer was reneged. The reason? Unknown.
Fast forward to Tuesday morning, and Charania announced that Oklahoma City will sign former Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers wing Dalen Terry to a two-year deal.
This move fills the 15th and final roster spot for the Thunder. It’s well documented how hard Oklahoma City has been hit with significant injuries to several key players.
Oklahoma City takes Terry away from the Golden State Warriors‘ G League team in Santa Cruz to provide needed wing depth. Can anyone think of a scenario like this—where the Thunder lose three starters to major injuries not only in the first week of the season, but in the same game—Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Cason Wallace all on October 25th?
Now, the Thunder seem to be moving forward with Terry. The next question is: what does this mean for Oklahoma City at this stage?
How the Addition of Dalen Terry Helps the OKC Thunder addition of
At 6-foot-6, the former No. 18th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, he will almost likely put in situations to be a point-of-attack defender, add hustle plays, and provide intangibles for Oklahoma City. He’s a project right now, but he has the length and athleticism to play on wing, with guard skills that add upside to this signing.
During Terry’s four-year stint in Chicago, he averaged 3.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.5 steals per game, shooting 44.4% from the floor and 31.9% from deep on 1.2 attempts a game, followed by a one-year stint in Philadelphia, where he averaged 4.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 0.5 steals, shooting 43.4% from the floor and 25% from deep on 1.4 attempts a game. He’s also never played more than 14 minutes per game in his career, but this could be a case where he exceeds that on a depleted Thunder team.
Similar to Oklahoma City signing Micah Peavy — who has been solid and has become important in only a few games — Terry’s offensive impact will likely bank on his perimeter shooting. Through his first four seasons, he is shooting 31.4% from deep on 1.2 attempts, but despite the Thunder being hampered by injuries, he will likely benefit from having the cleanest looks of his career.
This iteration of the Thunder has built its roster around high-feel players who process the game at a high level instead of high-flying athletes. Terry is more the latter than the former; he has intriguing tools and is pretty athletic, but his decision-making is a legitimate question mark through the early stages of his career.
This is a low-risk, good value play for Oklahoma City. And if the Thunder’s bet on Terry lands in their favor, then this gives them a wing who can play alongside their current primary creators in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ajay Mitchell, and Jared McCain. Now, whether his processing as a decision-maker and shot-maker improves, it’s needed, but it’s not the end-all, be-all like it was in Chicago.
If everything projects as it should, Terry will provide another defensive-minded wing with some offensive upside who can add minutes for Oklahoma City as they grind through the season.
Main Image: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
