The Thunder are moving quickly to patch up a roster that has been battered by injuries, and their next addition is expected to be Ochai Agbaji.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that Oklahoma City intends to sign the free agent swingman, filling the open spot on the team’s 15-man standard roster. That move would give the Thunder more roster flexibility, including the ability to lean on their two-way players and seek a hardship exception for possible 10-day reinforcements.
Agbaji, the 14th overall pick in the 2022 draft, has already made the rounds in his first four NBA seasons. He has spent time in Utah, Toronto and Brooklyn, and his best stretch came with the Raptors in 2024/25, when he averaged 10.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting .399 from three in 64 games, including 45 starts.
His role shrank sharply last season. After Toronto sent him to Brooklyn in a cost-cutting move at the 2026 trade deadline, Agbaji entered restricted free agency over the summer but didn’t get a qualifying offer from the Nets. In his fourth NBA season, he posted 5.1 PPG and 2.3 RPG while shooting .436/.266/.837.
Agbaji had been in Knicks camp on a non-guaranteed deal this fall and was at least in the mix for New York’s 14th roster spot, but he never looked like a serious front-runner. The Knicks wanted a center with that spot, and even if they had gone with a wing, Bruce Brown was seen as the preferred option. Agbaji was waived on October 15.
Oklahoma City’s need is obvious. After dealing Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins during the offseason, the Thunder have seen their wing depth get further thinned by injuries. Second-round pick Otega Oweh is done for the year after a preseason Achilles tear, Jalen Williams had surgery this week to repair his fractured left fibula and dislocated ankle, and Cason Wallace is dealing with a torn labrum that’s expected to keep him out for several months.
The list keeps going. Nikola Topic has been sidelined following low back surgery, Thomas Sorber has been unavailable after right knee surgery, Chet Holmgren has missed the past two games with right knee patellar tendinitis, and Alex Caruso sat out Wednesday with a right ankle sprain.
Because the Thunder were already carrying an open roster spot, Agbaji is set to slide into that vacancy on what figures to be a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary contract. Oklahoma City is operating well above the luxury tax line, so every standard roster addition raises the projected bill. Even so, the team still has enough cushion below the second tax apron to make small moves without crossing that line.
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Thunder Take Low-Risk Swing On A Needed Wing Defender
The Thunder are lining up a low-risk addition for their final roster spot, with Ochai Agbaji expected to give them some much-needed wing depth. A 2022 lottery pick who has already bounced around multiple NBA teams in five seasons, Agbaji fits the profile of a player Oklahoma City can bring in without disrupting its broader roster plans while still adding athleticism and defensive versatility.
The timing makes sense for a team that has been nudged toward the wing market by recent injuries, and this is the kind of move that can matter more than it looks at first glance. Agbaji does not need to be a savior here, just a useful body who can help absorb minutes and give the Thunder another perimeter option as they manage the roster and try to stay balanced on both ends. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Just Took A Flier On A Familiar Wing For A Reason
The Thunder have taken a low-risk swing on the wing by adding a familiar NBA body to the mix as they look to shore up depth for the stretch ahead. The move gives Oklahoma City another 6-foot-5 option after injuries have left the rotation thinner than usual on the perimeter, a spot the team has had to monitor closely.
Ochai Agbaji arrives with four NBA seasons behind him and a rsum that already includes stops with the Raptors, Jazz and Nets, plus the pedigree of being the No. 14 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. For a team trying to stay flexible while dealing with some short-term uncertainty, the signing fits the profile of a practical depth play, even if the long-term role is still to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Injuries Could Push OKC Toward A Familiar Trade Target
The Thunders injury situation has turned into a roster problem almost as quickly as it became a medical one, with Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace both undergoing surgery and facing an indefinite absence. With two rotation pieces suddenly unavailable, Oklahoma City is looking at ways to keep its depth intact and avoid asking too much of the rest of the bench during a stretch that could reshape the early part of the season.
One name that has surfaced is a familiar one for the front office, a young wing whose path has already intersected with the Thunder before. He is in the second year of his rookie deal and, with a role that has become less secure elsewhere, he could fit the kind of depth Oklahoma City needs if it decides to add another perimeter option rather than simply ride out the injuries. [Read more 🡒]