Former Thunder first-round pick is taking unlikely path back to NBA

Throughout his 17 years leading the Oklahoma City Thunder, General Manager Sam Presti has experienced significant successes in the NBA Draft, highlighted by recent max contract extensions for Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. However, Presti's draft record also includes notable misses, such as Aleksej Pokusevski and Ousmane Dieng.

A specific past draft failure, Darius Bazley, is currently attempting an NBA comeback with the Los Angeles Lakers Summer League team. After playing in the Chinese Basketball League and the NBA G League last season, Bazley received an invitation to join the Lakers' Summer League roster this offseason.

Through four Summer League games, Bazley has emerged as a reliable asset for the Lakers, primarily coming off the bench. He is averaging impressive all-around numbers: 15.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game, while shooting 56.7% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range. While his scoring has drawn attention, his defensive intensity, shot-blocking, switchability, and versatility, fueled by his length and athleticism, have been key to the Lakers' competitiveness.

Bazley was originally selected 23rd overall by the Thunder in the 2019 NBA Draft, ahead of players like Jordan Poole and Nic Claxton. He spent three and a half seasons in Oklahoma City, showing flashes of potential (averaging 9.2 points and 5.4 rebounds) but ultimately failing to consistently realize his potential as a two-way player. The Thunder traded him to the Phoenix Suns in February 2023 for Dario Saric, a future second-round pick, and cash. Bazley subsequently moved between teams before falling out of the NBA entirely after the 2023-24 season.

Now 25 years old, Bazley aims to return to the NBA for the 2025-26 season. Based on his strong performance with the Lakers Summer League squad, he appears to be making significant progress towards achieving that goal.