As the NBA calendar pivots towards the preseason, media day is set to take place on Monday prior to the start of training camp. At that point, players will begin to compete in both camp and in Oklahoma City's four preseason games as they look to earn either a roster spot or playing time within the regular rotation.
With less than a month until the start of the 2021-22 NBA regular season, there's quite a few milestones along the way.
Key Dates:
- Media Day (9/27/21)
- Start of Training Camp (9/28/21)
- Preseason Game: Charlotte Hornets (10/4/21)
- Preseason Game: Milwaukee Bucks (10/10/21)
- Preseason Game: Denver Nuggets (10/13/21)
- Preseason Game: Denver Nuggets (10/14/21)
From there, key roster decisions will have to be made. The Thunder will play their first regular season game against the Utah Jazz on Oct. 20, meaning they'll have to cut down their roster before then.
Each NBA team is allowed to carry a 15-man roster into the regular season to go along with a pair of two-way players.
For the best players on the roster, this time of the year is all about getting back in game shape and staying healthy. The next tier of players are guys that are essentially guaranteed to make the roster, but want to take this opportunity to earn a larger role in the rotation. From there, a handful of players will be fighting for a spot on the team outright.
Whether that's players who are currently under contract that could potentially be cut, or guys that are signed to training camp deals that want to prove they're worth a roster spot, competition should be at an all-time high.
As the offseason winds down, NBA action is about to get underway.
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