Why OKC Thunder Still Has Love For Tre Mann

“What stuck out most was towards the end of his time with us, his playing time had declined pretty significantly compared to where it was early on, and his commitment to the team when he’s a young player, he’s on his first contract,” Daigneault said. “There’s probably days where it wasn’t going exactly the way he wanted it to go, and yet he stayed so committed to the team and inside the team that I just gained a ton of respect for him. 

“It’s one thing when you’re playing the minutes you want to play and having flickers of success, which he obviously had with us and has had here, but it’s quite another when you’re not getting your expectations met.”

Last year, Mann started off the season red hot for the Charlotte Hornets. The entire basketball community — including Oklahoma City’s locker room — took joy in watching Mann’s talents on display. Unfortunately, he suffered a devastating injury that would hold him out the rest of the season. However, the Hornets had seen enough to reward him with a new contract, inking Mann to a three-year, $24 million deal.

The Florida product returned to action on Sunday to take on his former team in Oklahoma City’s first preseason action, and it was great to see him back on the court. In 17 minutes, Mann totaled 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 3-of-7 from the floor.

“For him to commit to the team in the way that he did, I think said a lot about his personal character, and he has carved out a place inside of our program’s consciousness that not everybody has,” Daigneault said. “I mean, he’s one of the guys still. We had Wiggins’s jersey retirement last year he came down for that. 

“The guys love him, love seeing him, and when he has success, the guys talk about it. When he started hot last year, the guys were talking about it. When he signed his contract over the summer, he’s just somebody that we collectively root for, and it’s the way that he handled himself while he was here, and a really good player."

Mann will certainly be a player that the Thunder community continues to follow, and he’s set up for success in Charlotte. The impact he had on the Thunder fanbase and the Thunder locker room is clear.