The Oklahoma City Thunder are making moves around the margins - and for a team with deep playoff aspirations, even the small tweaks matter. On Tuesday, the Thunder announced they’ve waived shooting guard Chris Youngblood from his two-way contract and signed swingman Buddy Boeheim to fill that now-open slot.
Let’s start with Youngblood. The 6'4" guard out of Alabama joined OKC as an undrafted rookie last summer and quickly made the most of his opportunity.
He wasn’t just stashed away in the G League - he was in the mix. By the time the Thunder faced the Spurs on Wednesday, Youngblood had already hit the 50-game limit for two-way players on an NBA active roster.
That’s the ceiling unless a team converts the deal into a standard contract.
But here’s the catch: the Thunder’s 15-man roster is already tight. After sending out Ousmane Dieng and bringing in Jared McCain ahead of the trade deadline, there wasn’t an obvious roster spot to promote Youngblood. Rather than keep him parked with the Oklahoma City Blue for the rest of the season, the front office chose to waive him - giving him a shot to catch on elsewhere, rather than letting his season stall out in the G League.
Now enters Buddy Boeheim, a name college hoops fans will know well from his days lighting it up at Syracuse. The 6'6" wing has been with the Blue and has shown enough to earn this shot.
In nine games this season, Boeheim has averaged 15.6 points, 4.6 boards, and 3.8 assists in just over 30 minutes per game. His shooting splits - .375 from the field, .351 from deep, and a perfect 1.000 from the line - show a player who can space the floor and contribute in multiple ways.
This isn’t Boeheim’s first NBA stop, either. He logged 20 regular-season games with the Pistons between 2022 and 2024, so he knows what it takes to compete at the top level. With his new two-way deal, he’s eligible to be active for up to 19 games with the Thunder for the remainder of the season.
For a team like OKC, which has built its identity on development and depth, this swap is about maximizing flexibility. Boeheim brings a different skill set - more size on the wing and a proven shooting touch - while Youngblood gets the chance to explore new opportunities elsewhere. It’s not a headline-grabbing move, but these are the kind of decisions that can pay off down the stretch, especially when injuries hit or rotations tighten.
Bottom line: the Thunder are staying nimble, and Boeheim now has a chance to carve out a role on one of the league’s most intriguing young rosters.