Skip to content

Thunder's domestic draft-stash Huestis willing to play a 2nd D-League season

Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

The strange experiment of the Oklahoma City Thunder may extend to a second trial season.

The Thunder made waves at the 2014 NBA Draft by selecting Josh Huestis out of Stanford with the No. 29 overall pick. The 29th pick was far earlier than Huestis was expected to be taken, and the reason Oklahoma City picked him there became fairly clear immediately: He was willing to be stashed in the D-League for a season, opting to play on a $25,000 salary for a guarantee of being selected and, eventually, a rookie-scale contract.

The machinations of this move were somewhat controversial, but the NBPA ultimately spoke out in support of Huestis' decision. Asked if the future holds another D-League season in the cards for him, Huestis sounds as if he's ready to double-down on the development plan:

This will be a big offseason for me. We haven't had the chance yet to sit down and discuss it with them. It will come down to the commitments I make and what the team decides. I can't make any guesses on that yet.
...
I'm willing to do whatever it is they believe will be best for me. There are a lot of paths to take to the NBA. If that was fine I'd be OK with it as long as I knew it would make me a better player.

Multi-year overseas draft-stashes are commonplace, but a D-League salary is so small that this seemed an odd choice on the player's part.

It did afford him the opportunity to play the entire season with the Thunder's exclusive D-League affiliate, where he averaged 10.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. He shot poorly - 37.2 percent overall and 31.6 percent on 85 3-point attempts - but was lauded for his defense, his calling card as a prospect.

Huestis' status for 2015-16 will likely depend on how what could be a tumultuous offseason shakes out for the Thunder. They're flush with frontcourt players on guaranteed contracts and while a versatile wing defender could be useful off the bench, it's tough to get a gauge on how general manager Sam Presti and new head coach Billy Donovan will approach the roster.

The Thunder will also welcome a lottery pick to the roster, something they didn't expect when they stashed Huestis, which could complicate matters further.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox