1 undrafted Thunder 2026 NBA Summer League star who could make roster

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s roster for the 2026-27 season is basically set. They might have traded away three rotation players in Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins, but they have built such a deep roster that they’re expected to maintain their place as one of the best teams in the association — if not outright the favorite to win the title in 2027.

But even a team as stacked as the Thunder need to win with their moves on the margins, and that includes finding quality players on two-way contracts to presumably rely on should, knock on wood, injuries require players lower on the depth chart to step up.

At present, the Thunder have one more open roster spot, which they used to sign Spencer Jones to an offer sheet worth $6 million over two years, which the Denver Nuggets matched. Considering that OKC is only a little less than $7 million under the second apron after their offseason trades, they will be cautious so as to not rack up more luxury tax payments.

This could open up the opportunity for one of the Thunder’s players on a two-way contract to perhaps get a standard contract, opening up a spot for another youngster on the OKC Summer League roster to latch on.

At the end of the day, OKC may end up just keeping their flexibility by maintaining their open roster spot. But these two players could end up convincing OKC to do otherwise.

3 players deserve a closer look from the Thunder

During Vegas Summer League action, most of the Thunder fans’ eyes zeroed in on how 2026 first-round picks Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz performed. Mara and Stirtz did show flashes of why the organization was high on them both, although they are not obvious candidates for consistent playing time next season, as the team has multiple players higher than them on the depth chart.

Lost in the shuffle are the other players on the Thunder Summer League roster. Stirtz did lead the team in scoring, but it was Payton Sandfort, the 6’7″ forward out of Iowa, who came in second. He went undrafted in 2025 after four years with the Hawkeyes, and his primary selling point as a prospect was his ability to shoot the ball and crash the boards.

In Vegas, however, Sandfort wasn’t very efficient from beyond the arc. He shot just 29.2 percent from deep on an average of six attempts per ballgame. It was a bit disappointing as well that he averaged just three boards in Summer League action, which, with his 6’7″ frame, is a bit underwhelming.

Sandfort lacks a bit of burst off the bounce as well, so he’s had to settle for tough contested shots, negatively affecting his scoring efficiency. He shot under 40 percent from the field last season in the G-League, and his middling efficiency during Summer League action means that he may find scoring against NBA defenses too difficult of an undertaking.

If anything, Josh Dix already does what Sandfort does, but better. Dix is already under contract for the Thunder, with OKC signing the undrafted Creighton senior to a two-way deal after the NBA Draft, and he profiles as a more useful movement shooting weapon, hence the team’s decision to already lock his services down.

With that said, Sandfort appears to be destined for the Oklahoma City Blue, and unless he shows major improvements to his shooting proficiency and efficiency, he’ll find it difficult to make the leap to the NBA-level.

Anthony Pritchard is another player who flashed his intriguing skillset during Summer League action. He didn’t stuff the stat sheet much, but he is embracing his role every time he’s on the hardwood. He is a glue guy who wants to make his teammates better.

He needs to be more of a scoring threat moving forward. But as someone who averaged 13-5-6 in the G-League last season, he deserves a closer look.

Perhaps Steven Ashworth could also be worth a closer look. The Thunder do have a loaded backcourt, and Ashworth’s skillset seems superfluous considering the other players on the roster, but he did record 22 points in his final Vegas Summer League game in 2026, and he shot over 44.4 percent from deep in the G-League last season.

The prediction here is that, with the Thunder being more invested in Sandfort’s development than the other players that were mentioned, it will be Sandfort who earns his way to a two-way contract (he was waived on July 2nd to open up a two-way spot). OKC will have to promote one of their current two-way players, and perhaps it will be second-round pick Otega Oweh who gets that call if he ends up impressing.

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