One Oklahoma City Thunder player will not be present for what could be the team’s finest opportunity to win an NBA championship in a long time.
Mike Muscala, a seasoned NBA big man, announced his retirement from the league to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman on Saturday. Muscala, 33, is formally retiring from the league after 11 seasons of service.
In a text, Muscala was cited as stating, “Thankful for everything.”
Muscala now plans to enroll in graduate school to earn a master’s degree in sports management, according to Lorenzi. In the end, Muscala wants to pursue a career in basketball administration or coaching.
Muscala was a journeyman for a long time before being selected in the second round of the 2013 draft. The 6-foot-10 stretch big Muscala, who played for seven different NBA clubs (Atlanta, Philadelphia, the L.A. Lakers, OKC, Boston, Washington, and Detroit), is most known for his 37.3% career three-point shooting percentage. Muscala spent his second season with the No. 1 seed Thunder last year, averaging 1.1 points and 1.3 rebounds in 5.7 minutes per game.
With the addition of Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein this summer, the Thunder appear to have an even greater chance of contending the following season.
On Monday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder played its first Summer League game of the year against the Philadelphia 76ers in Salt Lake City.
Despite losing 102-92, the Thunder had multiple young players suiting up for their professional debut who showed the potential to make plays in an NBA setting. In addition to a handful of draft picks and undrafted free agents on the roster, there are a few players who earned big minutes on Monday night that have already spent at least one season in the organization.
In addition to putting his solid perimeter shooting touch on display, Mitchell controlled the game well on offense, operating as a solid floor general for OKC. The 38th overall pick in the 2024 Draft looked good as a passer while showing great hustle and effort on the defensive end of the court.
Dieng shot a dismal 3-of-14 from the floor and 1-of-4 from beyond the arc, but he still finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. The third-year wing had shooting difficulties, but he still had moments when he drove into the lane and made smart passes to players on the outside.
In his professional debut, Jones recorded nine points, ten rebounds, seven assists, and a steal, displaying his diverse skill set. Despite only shooting 4-of-11 from the field and 1-of-5 from 3-point range, Jones, a Weber State player, contributed to the Thunder’s offensive flow from the wing and showed the kind of connecting ability that Sam Presti appears to crave.
Furthermore, Jones was skilled enough on the glass to potentially break through Mark Daigneault’s rotation early in
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