Thunder To Sign Ochai Agbaji

Agbaji was the 14th overall pick in the 2022 draft but bounced around the league in his first four NBA seasons, spending time in Utah, Toronto, and Brooklyn. The 6’5″ shooting guard showed promise as a third-year player with the Raptors in 2024/25, averaging 10.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game with a .399 3PT% in 64 outings (45 starts).

However, Agbaji saw his playing time and his production drop off significantly last season. The 26-year-old was traded from Toronto to Brooklyn in a cost-cutting deal at the 2026 trade deadline, and while he was eligible for restricted free agency this past summer, he didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the Nets after averaging 5.1 PPG and 2.3 RPG on .436/.266/.837 shooting in his fourth NBA season.

Agbaji was in camp with the Knicks on a non-guaranteed contract this fall, and while he was ostensibly in the mix for the team’s 14th roster spot, he never seemed like a legitimate candidate to earn it. New York preferred to carry a center as its 14th man, and even if the club had opted for a wing, Bruce Brown was viewed as the favorite over Agbaji, who was waived on October 15.

After trading away Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins during the offseason, Oklahoma City has seen its remaining wing depth diminished by health issues. Second-round pick Otega Oweh suffered a season-ending Achilles tear during the preseason, Jalen Williams underwent surgery this week to address his fractured left fibula and dislocated ankle, and Cason Wallace has a torn labrum that’s expected to sideline him for several months.

Additionally, Nikola Topic (low back surgery) and Thomas Sorber (right knee surgery) have been unavailable to open the season, while Chet Holmgren (right knee patellar tendinitis) has missed the past two games and Alex Caruso (right ankle sprain) was out Wednesday.

The Thunder had been carrying an open spot on their standard 15-man roster, so Agbaji will fill that opening and figures to receive a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary contract. Having that 15th spot occupied will give Oklahoma City more flexibility to use its two-way players and will allow the team to apply for a hardship exception to potentially add more reinforcements on 10-day deals.

Of course, the Thunder are operating well above the luxury tax line, so any standard roster additions, including Agbaji, will increase their projected bill. But the club still has a good amount of breathing room below the second tax apron and can make minor moves without being in danger of surpassing that threshold.