Who are the top 50 OKC Thunder playerss of all time? We're ranking them all, starting this week with No. 50-41.
The OKC Thunder won its first-ever NBA championship last season.
It's a long-awaited achievement for the franchise, which arrived in Oklahoma City in 2008 after it moved from Seattle. And while last season's OKC players were the ones who finally secured the title, plenty of others have left their own mark on Thunder basketball throughout the years.
A total of 160 players have suited up for OKC during the franchise's 17 seasons of existence, according to Stathead, and we're going to rank the top 50.
Before we begin, it's important to note that this list only reflects time spent with OKC. And while there's no exact formula to determine these rankings, factors such as statistics, impact and team success were considered when finalizing the order.
This list will be released via a five-part, weekly series. Now, let's get started with players 50-41:
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Top 50 OKC Thunder players of all time: Nos. 50-41
Stats consist of points (PTS), rebounds (REB), assists (AST), blocks (BLK), field goal percentage (FG), 3-point field-goal percentage (3FG) and where a player ranks in win shares (WS) throughout franchise history.
Honorable mentions
There are numerous multi-year players who could've cracked the top 50 but didn't due to either underwhelming stats or a lack of team success. That group consists of guys such as Theo Maledon, Raymond Felton, Patrick Patterson, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Lindy Waters III and Abdel Nader.
There were also numerous players who could've made the cut had they stayed in OKC for more than one season. That group consists of guys such as Domantas Sabonis, Earl Watson, Desmond Mason, Caron Butler, Doug McDermott and Chris Wilcox.
50. Al Horford (2020-21)
- Thunder averages: 14.2 PTS, 6.7 REB, 3.4 AST, 0.9 BLK, 45% FG, 36.8% 3FG, 1.6 WS (59th)
- Games played: 28 (0 playoff games)
Al Horford easily has the fewest games played in a Thunder jersey out of everyone on this top-50 list. He only suited up for 28 games during the 2020-21 season before he was shut down.
But one of the factors for these rankings is impact, which Horford prided himself in. The veteran big man agreed to be shut down so OKC could focus on developing its youth, and he served as a mentor for guys such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort. His presence was also a huge help for first-year head coach Mark Daigneault.
"Every first-year NBA head coach should be as lucky as I was to have Al Horford on their team,” Daigneault said in January 2024. “Stud professional and person."
Let's not forget what Horford did on the floor either. After a failed one-year stint with the Philadelphia 76ers, he rejuvenated his career with OKC and just completed his 18th season at age 39. While Horford's time with the Thunder was brief, it was important to a franchise that was in the middle of a transition period following the Russell Westbrook era.
49. Aleksej Pokusevski (2020-24)
- Thunder averages: 7.5 PTS, 4.7 REB, 2 AST, 0.8 BLK, 38.7% FG, 29.9% 3FG, -0.7 WS (159th)
- Games played: 150 (0 playoff games)
OKC took a swing on Aleksej Pokusevski with the 17th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Those were the days of unicorn chasing in the league, and there were glimpses of magic when watching the 7-foot forward push the ball up the floor and drop dimes.
Unfortunately, that wore off throughout Pokusevski's two and a half years with the Thunder. He struggled to stay on the floor due to various injuries and looked like an unpolished prospect when he did suit up.
Pokusevski's time with OKC ended in February 2024 when he was waived. But with solid statistics, decent longevity and some impact as an entertaining fan favorite, he narrowly makes the cut.
48. Ty Jerome (2020-22)
- Thunder averages: 8.6 PTS, 2.1 REB, 2.8 AST, 0.6 STL, 41% FG, 35.3% 3FG, 1.8 WS (55th)
- Games played: 81 (0 playoff games)
After spending his rookie season with the Phoenix Suns, Ty Jerome was traded to OKC leading up to the 2020-21 season.
The 6-foot-5 guard showed some potential as a 3-point specialist and a willing defender. But he dealt with numerous injuries throughout his two seasons with the Thunder and also went cold from deep during the 2021-22 campaign.
Fortunately for Jerome, he has since found his footing in the NBA. He finished third in the race for Sixth Man of the Year last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he's now expected to be a valuable role player for the Memphis Grizzlies. Unfortunately, his production with the Thunder is only good enough to come in at No. 48.
47. Hamidou Diallo (2018-21)
- Thunder averages: 6.9 PTS, 3.3 REB, 1 AST, 0.7 STL, 46.2% FG, 26.2% 3FG, 2.2 WS (54th)
- Games played: 129 (3 playoff games)
OKC has developed numerous players who were selected in the second round. Just look at Aaron Wiggins, Jaylin Williams and Ajay Mitchell.
The hope was that Hamidou Diallo would also be one of those guys. He was a consensus five-star prospect out of high school who went 45th overall in the 2018 draft.
Diallo showcased elite athleticism during his time with the Thunder and even became the franchise's first-ever player to win the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 2019. He also averaged 11.9 points and 5.2 rebounds during the 2020-21 season, which is one of the better stat lines in this range, but he was traded to the Detroit Pistons at the deadline.
46. Tre Mann (2021-24)
- Thunder averages: 8.5 PTS, 2.5 REB, 1.7 AST, 0.6 STL, 39.7% FG, 34.1% 3FG, 0.8 WS (77th)
- Games played: 140 (0 playoff games)
OKC's players still show love to Tre Mann, and he still shows love back. He even attended one of the team's home playoff games against New Orleans two seasons ago despite being a member of the Charlotte Hornets.
There are seemingly no hard feelings between the Thunder and Mann, who was simply the odd man out. After posting promising averages of 10.4 points and 2.9 rebounds as a rookie in 2021-22, his role gradually declined as OKC drafted other guards such as Josh Giddey and Cason Wallace.
Mann was dealt at the 2023-24 deadline to Charlotte, where he still resides. And while he didn't get to blossom with OKC, he does get the 46th spot on this list.
45. Darius Bazley (2019-23)
- Thunder averages: 9.2 PTS, 5.4 REB, 1.2 AST, 0.7 BLK, 41% FG, 31% 3FG, 2.7 WS (49th)
- Games played: 221 (7 playoff games)
If you haven't noticed a theme yet for the 50-41 range of this list, it mostly consists of young players who showed promise but weren't able to put it all together with OKC.
Darius Bazley is certainly one of those guys. He was a full-time starter as a sophomore in 2020-21 with career-high averages of 13.7 points and 7.2 rebounds, but he eventually fell down the rotation and out of the league.
After spending last season with the Chinese Basketball Association's Guangdong Southern Tigers, Bazley tried to revive his NBA career this offseason with the Los Angeles Lakers' Summer League team but suffered a leg injury. Here's to hoping for the best for the former Thunder forward, who ranks 45th on this list.
44. Terrance Ferguson (2017-20)
- Thunder averages: 4.8 PTS, 1.4 REB, 0.7 AST, 0.5 STL, 40.6% FG, 33.7% 3FG, 4.6 WS (36th)
- Games played: 191 (12 playoff games)
Born in Tulsa, Terrance Ferguson had a full-circle moment when he was selected by OKC with the 21st overall pick in the 2017 draft.
After coming off the bench as a rookie, Ferguson became a full-time starter in 2018-19 while Andre Roberson missed time. He averaged career highs of 6.9 points and 1.9 rebounds while showcasing strong athleticism and defensive versatility.
Ferguson also appeared in 12 playoff games, which is the most of any player in this range, and he ranks 36th in franchise history in win shares (4.6). His rough offense prevented him from sticking, but his résumé is good enough to earn the 44th spot.
43. Isaiah Roby (2019-22)
- Thunder averages: 9.1 PTS, 5.1 REB, 1.6 AST, 0.8 STL, 49.5% FG, 36.5% 3FG, 4.1 WS (37th)
- Games played: 109 (0 playoff games)
Isaiah Roby is another young player who showed some flashes during his brief time with OKC.
After spending his rookie season with the Dallas Mavericks' G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, Roby was traded to OKC. He later averaged 10.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in 2021-22, which was his third and final season with the Thunder.
Roby now plays for Ratiopharm Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga in Germany, and he still supports OKC. He attended Game 5 of the NBA Finals last season inside Paycom Center. While his days in a Thunder jersey are over, Roby holds the 43rd spot with solid stats and the 37th-most win shares (4.1) in franchise history.
42. Jeremy Lamb (2012-15)
- Thunder averages: 7 PTS, 2.1 REB, 1.1 AST, 0.5 STL, 42.2% FG, 34.8% 3FG, 5.1 WS (34th)
- Games played: 148 (11 playoff games)
Jeremy Lamb was one of the pieces OKC received when it traded James Harden to Houston in 2012.
Lamb didn't provide Harden-like production off the bench. But he did average a respectable 8.5 points and 2.4 rebounds on 35.6% shooting from deep as a 21-year-old sophomore in 2013-14.
Lamb also played the most meaningful minutes out of anyone in this range during OKC's 2014 Western Conference finals run, but he fell out of the rotation the following season. Even though he ended up getting traded to Charlotte, where young Thunder players seem to always end up in search of more opportunities, he was productive enough during his three seasons with OKC to land at No. 42.
41. Alex Abrines (2016-19)
- Thunder averages: 5.3 PTS, 1.4 REB, 0.5 AST, 0.5 STL, 38.7% FG, 36.8% 3FG, 5 WS (35th)
- Games played: 174 (11 playoff games)
After winning a 2014 Spanish League championship and the 2016 EuroLeague Rising Star award with FC Barcelona, Alex Abrines signed with OKC in July 2016 as a 22-year-old guard.
Abrines spent three seasons with the Thunder and held a consistent role off the bench. He also helped OKC reach the playoffs twice and appeared in 11 postseason games.
Abrines probably could've carved out a longer NBA career as a 3-point shooter off the bench, but he and the Thunder mutually decided to part ways in February 2019 due to personal reasons. Abrines then returned to FC Barcelona, where he won another two Spanish League titles (2021 and 2023). He announced his retirement this summer.
Justin Martinez covers sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @JTheSportsDude. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ranking the top 50 OKC Thunder players of all time: Nos. 50-41
Category: Basketball
