Not even two weeks removed from its Game 7 NBA Finals win, Thunder basketball is back (sort of).
The Thunder will once again play in two summer leagues: the more intimate four-team Salt Lake City Summer League and Las Vegas Summer League, which includes all 30 teams.
The Thunder will open summer league play at 6 p.m. Saturday against the Grizzlies in Salt Lake City. OKC’s first Las Vegas game is slated for 4:30 p.m. Thursday against Brooklyn.
Here’s a primer to get you ready for NBA Summer League:
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Nikola Topic: He’s the headliner for the Thunder in summer league. Drafted with the No. 12 pick a year ago, the Serbian guard missed all of last season with a torn ACL in his left knee — an injury he suffered just weeks before the 2024 NBA Draft. Think of Topic in the Josh Giddey mold — a big guard with excellent court vision whose jump shot is a major question mark.
Brooks Barnhizer: The Thunder selected two players in the 2025 draft: Georgetown center Thomas Sorber with the No. 15 pick and Northwestern forward Brooks Barnhizer with the No. 44 pick. Sorber, unfortunately, is out for summer league as he rehabs from a foot injury that ended his freshman season with the Hoyas. That will naturally lead to more attention on Barnhizer, a long-armed defensive menace. Sam Presti has had a high hit rate on second-round picks. Barnhizer is signed to a two-way contract.
Ajay Mitchell: Speaking of second-round picks, the Thunder might have found a gem in Mitchell. A turf toe surgery limited him to 36 games as a rookie, but he returned in time for the playoffs, averaging 7.0 minutes in 12 games played. Mitchell profiles as a steady-handed backup guard who can knock down open 3-pointers. He’ll be in the Thunder’s rotation next season.
Player, No., Pos., Ht., Wt., College/Previous team
Zack Austin: No. 52, F, 6-5, 216, PittsburghBrooks Barnhizer: No. 23, F, 6-5, 227, NorthwesternTy Brewer: No. 27, F, 6-5, 210, Mittel Deutscher BCCameron Brown: No. 16, F, 6-5, 218, St. Joseph’sBranden Carlson: No. 15, C, 7-0, 227, UtahAlex Ducas: No. 88, F, 6-6, 215, St. Mary’sCesare Edwards: No. 45, F/C, 6-7, 224, Georgia StateJazian Gortman: No. 26, G, 6-1, 175, Overtime EliteViktor Lahkin: No. 50, C, 6-11, 247, ClemsonMalevy Leons: No. 17, F, 6-9, 196, BradleyAjay Mitchell: No. 25, G, 6-4, 204, UC Santa BarbaraErik Reynolds II: No. 41, G, 6-2, 183, St. Joseph’sPayton Sandfort: No. 30, F, 6-6, 214, IowaMady Sissoko: No. 42, C, 6-7, 240, UC BerkeleyThomas Sorber: No. 12, C, 6-9, 270, GeorgetownNikola Topic: No. 44, G, 6-6, 216, Crvena zvezdaKerwin Walton: No. 28, F, 6-4, 209, Texas TechHason Ward: No. 31, C, 6-8, 214, Iowa StateChris Youngblood: No. 40, G, 6-4, 223, Alabama
Who will coach the Thunder in Summer League?
Daniel Dixon will coach the Thunder in Salt Lake City Summer League (July 5-8) and Connor Johnson will coach the Thunder in Las Vegas Summer League (July 10-20).
Dixon, an assistant coach for player development, is entering his fourth season with the organization. He coached the Thunder’s summer league team last year in Las Vegas. Dixon played college basketball at William & Mary.
Johnson is in his sixth season with the Thunder. Before that, he spent three years as the head coach of the 76ers’ G League affiliate. Johnson began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Villanova.
Thunder 2025 NBA Summer League schedule
All times Central
Salt Lake City Summer LeagueSaturday, July 5: OKC vs. Memphis at 6 p.m. (ESPNU)Monday, July 7: OKC vs. Philadelphia at 6 p.m. (ESPN)Tuesday, July 8: OKC vs. Utah at 8 p.m. (NBA TV)Las Vegas Summer LeagueThursday, July 10: OKC vs. Brooklyn at 4:30 p.m. (ESPN2)Saturday, July 12: OKC vs. Indiana at 4:30 p.m. (NBA TV)Tuesday, July 15: OKC vs. Orlando at 5:30 p.m. (NBA TV)Wednesday, July 16: OKC vs. New Orleans at 8:30 p.m. (NBA TV)
Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.