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2021–22 Oklahoma City Thunder season
NBA professional basketball team season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2021–22 Oklahoma City Thunder season was the 14th season of the franchise in Oklahoma City and the 56th in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The Thunder were officially eliminated from playoff contention for the second consecutive season. It was the first time the team suffered consecutive losing seasons since 2006–2009 where they went on a four–year stretch.
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Previous season
The Thunder finished the 2020–21 season 22–50 to finish in fourth place in the Northwest Division, fourteenth in the Western Conference and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2014-15.
In their first year of the rebuild, the Thunder started the season returning only six players from the 2019-20 season. The Thunder also mutually agreed to part ways with head coach Billy Donovan after five seasons. To replace Donovan, the Thunder promoted assistant coach Mark Daigneault who previously served as the head coach of the Oklahoma City Blue.[1]
Replacing Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari, and Steven Adams in the starting lineup, the Thunder started veterans George Hill, Al Horford and promoted second-year forward Darius Bazley. After failing to trade Horford at the deadline, the Thunder announced Horford will remain inactive for the rest of the season to prioritize the team's younger talent.[2] After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's season-ending injury and Al Horford being shut down, the Thunder finished April and May with a 2–23 record including a 152–95 loss to the Indiana Pacers which was the largest home loss in league history.[3]
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Offseason
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Draft picks
The Thunder had three first round-picks and three second-round picks entering the draft.[4] The Thunder owned one first-round pick entering the 2021 NBA draft lottery. The Thunder ended the night with the sixth overall pick after having a 34.1% chance to be in the top three. The Thunder other's first rounders were acquired from the Al Horford trade and the Paul George trade.[5][6] The Thunder also acquired two other second-round picks from the Kelly Oubre Jr. trade.[7]
On draft night, the Thunder traded the draft rights to Alperen Şengün, the 16th pick, to the Houston Rockets in exchange for a 2022 protected first-round pick via DET and a 2023 protected first-round pick via WAS.[8] The Thunder traded the draft rights to Rokas Jokubaitis, the 34th pick, and the draft rights to Miles McBride, the 36th pick to the New York Knicks in exchange for the draft rights to Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, the 32nd pick.[9]
The Thunder ended 2021 NBA draft night with Australia's NBL guard Josh Giddey, Florida guard Tre Mann, Villanova center Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Maryland guard Aaron Wiggins.[10]
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Trades
On June 18, the Thunder traded Al Horford, Moses Brown and a 2023 second-round pick to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Kemba Walker, a 2021 first-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick.[11] On August 6, the Thunder negotiated a contract buyout and waived Walker. In return, Walker gave up $20 million in total in his buyout. Walker gave up $9.7 million in his 2021-22 salary and $10.2 million in his 2022-23 salary.[12][13]
On July 30, the Thunder traded a 2027 second-round pick and cash considerations to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Derrick Favors and a future first-round pick.[14]
Free agency
For this offseason, free agency began on August 2, 2021. Tony Bradley, Svi Mykhailiuk and Mike Muscala were set to hit unrestricted free agency while Josh Hall was set to hit restricted free agency. On August 2, it was reported that Mike Muscala agreed to a two-year, $7 million deal to stay with the Thunder, which he later signed on August 11.[15][16] On August 18, Josh Hall accepted his two-way qualifying offer to re-sign with the Thunder.[17] However, on September 12, the Thunder waived Hall.[18] On August 19, Tony Bradley signed a deal with the Chicago Bulls.[19] On September 11, Svi Mykhailiuk signed a deal with the Toronto Raptors.[20] On August 2, it was reported that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander agreed to a five-year, $172 million rookie extension with the Thunder, which he later signed on August 6.[21][22]
On September 3, Vít Krejčí signed a rookie deal with the Thunder. Krejčí was originally selected 37th overall in the 2020 NBA draft but did not sign a contract in the 2020-21 season, instead spent the season rehabbing with the Oklahoma City Blue after tearing his ACL.[23] On September 15, Paul Watson Jr. signed a two-way contract with the Thunder. Watson Jr. spent the 2020-21 season with the Toronto Raptors.[24]
On September 26, Charlie Brown Jr. was waived by the Thunder.[25]
Front office and coaching changes
On August 10, the Thunder announced Nick Collison as a special assistant to Sam Presti. Prior to taking this position, Collison served as a basketball operations representative for the Thunder. Collison joins Eric Maynor, Nazr Mohammed, Mike Milks and Anthony Morrow as former Thunder players contributing to the Thunder organization.[26]
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Roster
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Staff
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Standings
Division
Conference
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Game log
Preseason
Regular season
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Player statistics
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| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular season
- Led team in statistic
After all games.[28]
‡ Waived during the season
† Traded during the season
≠ Acquired during the season
Individual game highs
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Awards and records
Awards
Records
- On December 2, 2021, the Oklahoma City Thunder took a 73-point loss against the Memphis Grizzlies setting an NBA-record for the worst margin of loss in history.[35]
- On December 27, 2021, Josh Giddey became the second player in NBA history to record a double-double while also going scoreless (Norm Van Lier).[36]
- On January 2, 2022, Giddey became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double with 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 14 assists at 19 years and 84 days, surpassing the record set by LaMelo Ball last season.[37] Giddey also became the youngest player in NBA history to lead all players in points, rebounds, and assists in one game, becoming the second teenager to do so along with Luka Dončić.[38]
- On February 14, 2022, Giddey became the 7th rookie in NBA history to record back-to-back triple-doubles following a triple-double in Chicago the prior day. Giddey also became the third rookie to record a triple-double in his Madison Square Garden debut.[39]
- On February 16, 2022, Giddey, 19, joined Oscar Robertson as the only rookies in league history to record three consecutive triple-doubles.[40]
- On March 21, 2022, Tre Mann set a Thunder rookie record with 35 points on 13-20 shooting, 7 threes. Mann scored 23 of his 35 points on a perfect 6-6 shooting in a single quarter marking the new Thunder rookie record for points in a quarter.[41]
- On March 28, 2022, all five Thunder starters made two or more 3-pointers for the first time in OKC history.[42]
- On April 1, 2022, Jaylen Hoard became the sixth Thunder player to record a 20-rebound game.[43]
- On April 3, 2022, Aleksej Pokuševski became the 12th youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists at 20 years and 98 days old.[44]
- On April 5, 2022, Hoard became the seventh player in OKC history to post a 20-point, 20-rebound game and the fifth to record multiple 20-rebound performances.[45]
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Overview
| Players Added Via draft Via trade
Via free agency
|
Players Lost Via trade Via free agency Waived |
Trades
| June 18, 2021[46] | To Oklahoma City Thunder Kemba Walker 2021 first-round pick 2025 second-round pick |
To Boston Celtics Al Horford Moses Brown 2023 second-round pick |
| July 30, 2021[47] | To Oklahoma City Thunder Draft rights to Jeremiah Robinson-Earl |
To New York Knicks Draft rights to Rokas Jokubaitis Draft rights to Miles McBride |
| July 30, 2021[47] | To Oklahoma City Thunder 2022 DET protected first-round pick 2023 WAS protected first-round pick |
To Houston Rockets Draft rights to Alperen Şengün |
| July 30, 2021[48] | To Oklahoma City Thunder Derrick Favors 2024 protected first-round pick |
To Utah Jazz 2027 second-round pick Cash considerations |
| January 4, 2022[49] | To Oklahoma City Thunder Miye Oni 2028 second-round pick |
To Utah Jazz Cash considerations |
| February 9, 2022[50] | To Oklahoma City Thunder KZ Okpala Amendments conditions on a previously traded first-round pick |
To Miami Heat 2026 second-round pick |
Free agency
Re-signed
^ a: Aaron Wiggins initially signed a two-way contract before it was converted into a multi-year contract.[51]
Additions
Subtractions
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Notes
- Record for largest margin of victory in NBA history, by 73 points.[27]
References
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