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Darius Bazley to Thunder: Oklahoma City's Current Roster After 2019 NBA Draft
June 21, 2019
The Oklahoma City Thunder added Darius Bazley with the No. 23 in the 2019 NBA draft Thursday night.
Here is how the Thunder's roster looks after the selection:
Thunder Active Roster and Average Salary (Expiration Year)
Abdel Nader, SF: $1.4M (2021)
Andre Roberson, SG: $10M (2020)
Dennis Schroder, PG: $17.5M (2021)
Deonte Burton, SF: $0.8M (2020)
Hamidou Diallo, SG: $1.1M (2021)
Jerami Grant, SF: $9.1M (2021)
Nerlens Noel, C: $1.9M (2020)
Patrick Patterson, PF: $5.5M (2020)
Paul George, SF: $34.2M (2022)
Russell Westbrook, PG: $41.4M (2023)
Steven Adams, C: $25M (2021)
Terrance Ferguson, SG: $2.1M (2021)
Darius Bazley, SG: $2M (2023)
Donte Grantham, PF: RFA
Jawun Evans, PG: RFA
Nerlens Noel, C: Player option
Markieff Morris, PF: UFA
Raymond Felton, PG: UFA
The 19-year-old last played for Princeton High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. The 6'9", 208-pounder was a five-star prospect after graduating in 2018, according to 247Sports, but he decommitted from Syracuse—also turning down offers from Ohio State, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Florida and Georgetown—to sign with agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.
Through Klutch Sports, Bazley accepted an internship with New Balance, which could pay him up to $1 million over five years.
Klutch Sports Group @KlutchSportsTo create ur own path,accept challenge,is what @BazleyDarius did on his jounrey to the NBA.We couldn’t be more excited to see what’s next for not just a special talent but a special person.Thanks @newbalance for thinking outside the box n partnering with us to make this a success https://t.co/ThanE2Nm01
The forward streamlined his unconventional path with what's expected of NBA prospects by attending the NBA combine in Chicago. There, he posted a 7'0" wingspan.
Heading into the draft, HoopsHype formulated Bazley's aggregate ranking among all prospects to be 35. There was much debate over how he might stack up against NBA competition considering he last played organized basketball in high school.
At the combine, ESPN's Jonathan Givony noted his observations. On June 4, Givony compared Bazley's measurements to those of Paul George and Jayson Tatum—noting that how his body develops remains a "big factor" in his NBA viability:
Jonathan Givony @DraftExpressVery useful to see Brian Bowen and Darius Bazley in this setting after both didn't play college basketball this season due to very different reasons. Bowen brought terrific energy and physicality even if his jumper was a bit streaky. Bazley had some nice moments on both ends.
Jonathan Givony @DraftExpressDarius Bazley's closest physical comps in our measurement database are interesting. Which way his body develops will be a big factor in what kind of player he develops into. If he can fill out like Young or Kleber eventually did, that will give him pretty intriguing versatility. https://t.co/kH8Nm1NpJ1
Clearly, Oklahoma City liked what they saw enough to bet on Bazley's upside. In the meantime, Thunder will look to Bazley to contribute off the bench.
Salary info via Spotrac.