The calendar has flipped to August. Which means we're in the dog days of the NBA's year-round calendar. Little will happen over the next two months as teams across the league prepare for the 2026-27 season. Before we move on, though, let's reflect one last time on last year.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a league-best 64-18 regular-season record. Juggling injuries all year, they overcame notable absences all year. Alas, they fell short of a second NBA championship with a 2026 Western Conference Finals exit.
To reflect on their 2025-26 season, Thunder Wire will conduct player grades for all 20 players who suited up for them this past year. Fifteenth up is Brooks Barnhizer, who returns on a two-way deal:
This is the top goal for any two-way player. The Thunder currently have an open standard roster spot. Barnhizer will try to fill that vacancy. He's the sole returning player from last year's two-way group. That means OKC must like him enough to think he has a chance to become an NBA player.
Let's see if Barnhizer forces the issue. Two-way players are allowed to be active for 50 regular-season games. They must be converted to a standard deal to be playoff-eligible. The Thunder have a recent history of converting players they like to meet that threshold. But to be honest, he has quite the uphill battle to join that list.
#last
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a league-best 64-18 regular-season record. Juggling injuries all year, they overcame notable absences all year. Alas, they fell short of a second NBA championship with a 2026 Western Conference Finals exit.
To reflect on their 2025-26 season, Thunder Wire will conduct player grades for all 20 players who suited up for them this past year. Fifteenth up is Brooks Barnhizer, who returns on a two-way deal:
This is the top goal for any two-way player. The Thunder currently have an open standard roster spot. Barnhizer will try to fill that vacancy. He's the sole returning player from last year's two-way group. That means OKC must like him enough to think he has a chance to become an NBA player.
Let's see if Barnhizer forces the issue. Two-way players are allowed to be active for 50 regular-season games. They must be converted to a standard deal to be playoff-eligible. The Thunder have a recent history of converting players they like to meet that threshold. But to be honest, he has quite the uphill battle to join that list.
#last
29 days ago
