What Malevy Leons Needs to Prove to Earn a Two-Way Contract with OKC Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder recently signed former Bradley forward Malevy Leons to an Exhibit 10 deal through training camp, giving him the opportunity to make the roster on a two-way deal.

Finding any way to have a chance to make the roster is impressive in itself, but he now has a much larger and more challenging task in front of him. Earning the final two-way deal onto OKC's roster won't be easy and he will likely have some competition when it comes to doing so.

In order to make the roster, there will be a few things he needs to show and excel at. He's been with and around the team for more than a season now, so the coaching staff does know what they are getting in Leons. He's a unique 6-foot-9 forward with a blend of skills on both sides of the ball, skills that he'll have to refine and show in order to take a step up.

For starters, his shooting needs to improve. If he didn't shoot from the perimeter, it wouldn't be much of an issue, but he does like to step out and shoot on the perimeter. It isn't a super efficient shot for him yet, so knocking those down when he gets the chance to do so will be a certain help. He shot 35% from the perimeter last season in the G League, but that number needs to go up.

His defense and fluidity on both sides of the ball are what make him such an interesting player. As long as there isn't any drop-off with those two skills, he should be just fine. He put those two things on display during this most recent Summer League, so there's no reason that shouldn't be the same during training camp.

Defensive effort and intelligence are a one-way ticket to catching the eyes of OKC's coaching staff and management. Those are two things he excels at and therefore should help him earn a bump up in his contract.

On offense, he needs to continue to be aggressive and make smart decisions. He operates well going downhill and is also a great passer for his size and position. He doesn't need to force any bad shots or passes to make his presence felt with the Thunder. Good looks and reads on offense might be even more important than staying solid on defense if Leons wants to make the roster.