The Iowa basketball program has seen a ton of recent success when it comes to putting players into the NBA.
Beginning with Luka Garza, the number of former Hawkeyes in the NBA has risen dramatically over the past half-decade. Joe Wieskamp, Keegan Murray, and Kris Murray have all seen NBA minutes over the last couple of years. And now it looks like a former teammate of the Murray brothers at Iowa may be close to making his NBA debut.
On Monday, it was announced that Payton Sandfort has agreed to a two-way contract with the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Following a standout senior season with Iowa, where he averaged 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game, Sandfort went undrafted in last Summer’s NBA Draft. Immediately following the draft, the Thunder signed him to a reserve deal, snagging his G-League rights and assigning him to the Oklahoma City Blue.
The 6-foot-7, 215-pound wing has appeared in 16 games for the Blue, averaging 11.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 33.1% from three. Now on a two-way contract, Sandfort will have the opportunity to make his NBA debut at any moment. The Thunder are currently dealing with a plethora of injuries, which could open the door for the former Hawk to have the opportunity of a lifetime.
The Thunder have already ruled out five players for Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago Bulls. Iowa fans may not have to wait long to see Sandfort make his NBA debut.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Former Iowa basketball star inks NBA two-way contract with Thunder
Reporting by Zach Hiney, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
