The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the best teams in the NBA so far with a record of 4-0. A team like that probably isn’t looking to make any changes, especially so early in the season. But the Thunder did make a roster move this week adding a former summer league and preseason standout on a standard contract as per Michael Scotto of Hoopshype.com.
The Thunder added Malevy Leons on a standard roster spot as they prepare to take on the Portland Trail Blazers during an early season road trip. To free up a roster spot to sign Leons, the Thunder cut Alex Reese. Reese had made the team out of training camp.
Leons is no stranger to the Thunder, also having suited up for them during preseason and in NBA Summer League as well. Although he is on a standard contract, he will likely see plenty of reps in the G League with the Oklahoma City Blue.
The move gives the Thunder a full 15-man roster and they also have all three of their two-way contract spots filled. The organization has been good at developing young talent and they obviously see something in Leons.
What Malevy Leons brings to Thunder roster
Leons joined the Thunder for NBA Summer League after going undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft. He spent three seasons playing Division 1 college basketball at Bradley after starting his college career at Mineral Area College, a junior college in Missouri.
During Summer League, Leons stood out for his three-point shooting, knocking them down at a 37.5 percent clip. He also averaged 5.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals. The Thunder saw enough of him to bring him to training camp to compete for a roster spot.
In preseason, he put up 5.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals. He shot 69.2 percent from the field.
While at Bradley, he was a two-time Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Defensive Player of the Year. As a senior, he was selected to the All-MVC First Team. During his time at Mineral Area College, he was named the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Junior College Player of the Year.
A native of Holland, Leons began playing with the Amsterdam Apollo basketball club as part of the Dutch Basketball League. He’s got the tools to be a good 3&D player in the NBA. The Thunder have a good track record of player development. He’ll get his chances to develop into a capable NBA rotation player.
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