Oklahoma City Thunder decided to roll the dice on the talented, but injury-prone center Justin Patton and sign the 22-year-old to a contract on Thursday.
Patton, who was the No.16 pick in 2017 draft by Chicago Bulls, inked a three-year deal with Thunder. According to ESPN’s Royce Young, the deal is worth $5.3 million, but only $700,000 are guaranteed.
This move represents a low risk, high reward situation for Thunder, who are currently rebuilding and are leaning towards having a younger roster. If Patton manages to live up to his pre-NBA expectations, he will turn out to be a great pickup for the organization. If not, OKC can be off the hook for cheap.
Soon after drafting him, Bulls shipped Justin Patton to Minnesota Timberwolves as part of the Jimmy Butler trade. Patton suffered left foot injury during the Summer League, which limited him to only one NBA appearance in his rookie year. Prior to the beginning of the 2018/19 season, he also broke his right foot, which again caused him to miss an extended period of time.
While rehabbing from the injury, Patton was traded to Philadelphia 76ers, being once again packaged with Butler. He ended up making three appearances with the 76ers, in which he averaged 1.7 points and 2.0 rebounds, before being released in April.
