In a franchise built on vision, patience, and player development, the Oklahoma City Thunder once again stayed true to their identity. Just hours after wrapping up the 2025 NBA Draft with the selections of Thomas Sorber and Brooks Barnhizer, the defending champions made a savvy post-draft addition: signing Iowa sharpshooter Payton Sandfort to a two-way contract.
On the surface, Sandfort’s undrafted status might raise eyebrows. After all, this is a player who just completed one of the most productive careers in Iowa Hawkeyes history. But for a team like Oklahoma City—who thrives on maximizing overlooked or undervalued talent—Sandfort could become yet another example of why the Thunder’s development system is among the best in the NBA.
An Elite Shooter with a Proven Résumé
Let’s begin with the numbers, because they speak loudly. Over his four-year college career, the 6-foot-7 forward became just the second player in Iowa program history to surpass 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, and 250 made three-pointers. His final tallies—1,619 points, 508 rebounds, and 271 threes—place him among elite company in the Big Ten, and he leaves Iowa as the school’s all-time leader in free throw percentage at an eye-popping 89.6%.
Sandfort was far from a one-dimensional scorer. As a senior during the 2024–25 season, he averaged 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. He shot 40.7% from the field, 34% from deep on high volume, and continued his free-throw dominance with an 89.1% clip. He logged 14 games with 20 or more points and posted three double-doubles. In his final collegiate game—against Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament—he exploded for 30 points, hitting eight threes and tying a conference tournament record.
Beyond the box score, Sandfort was Iowa’s emotional engine. He started the final 67 games of his career, scored in double figures 74 times, and embraced the mantle of leadership through injuries, losing streaks, and a heavy offensive workload. He earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors, was a preseason All-Big Ten selection, and was a finalist for multiple national awards recognizing sharpshooting and positional excellence.
The Fit in Oklahoma City
So, how does a player with such a résumé slip out of the 60 picks of the NBA Draft?
The answer lies in projection. While Sandfort is a reliable shot-maker and heady playmaker, his athletic profile doesn’t pop off the screen. Questions remain about his defensive versatility, ability to guard quicker wings at the NBA level, and his finishing ability around the rim. His 3-point percentage also dipped slightly his senior year (down from 37.9% as a junior to 34% as a senior), likely due in part to increased defensive attention and nagging injuries.
But Oklahoma City isn’t looking for Sandfort to be a star right away—or even a consistent rotation piece this season. The Thunder are known for investing in long-term development, especially through their G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue. What they are getting in Sandfort is a player with elite shooting mechanics, deep shooting range (including off-the-dribble threes), and the willingness to compete, adapt, and improve.
Statistically, Sandfort’s profile fits beautifully within OKC’s offensive framework. The Thunder rely heavily on spacing and ball movement, creating open looks for shooters positioned several feet behind the arc. According to Synergy Sports, Sandfort hit 36% of his off-the-dribble threes and 37% of his “long threes” (shots taken several steps behind the line) as a junior, which ranked him in the 79th percentile nationally. That kind of skill is rare—even among drafted players.
OKC’s rotation at the wing is stacked with gritty defenders like Lu Dort, versatile guards like Cason Wallace and Jalen Williams, and sharpshooters like Isaiah Joe. While it may be difficult for Sandfort to crack the rotation right away, the Thunder have consistently found ways to groom players through the Blue and eventually carve out roles for them. Look no further than Aaron Wiggins, who parlayed a two-way contract into a meaningful roster spot.
Developmental Culture and Opportunity
The Thunder aren’t just a landing spot—they’re a launching pad. Mark Daigneault and GM Sam Presti have built a culture that values development over flash, and structure over short-term noise. Their track record of finding and developing contributors outside the lottery is elite: Jalen Williams (12th overall), Luguentz Dort (undrafted), and even Chet Holmgren (now blossoming into a star) are all products of patient, strategic investment.
Sandfort’s opportunity in Oklahoma City won’t be measured in headlines but in habits. He’ll be expected to defend, rebound, and master his role offensively—hitting catch-and-shoot threes, moving without the ball, and maintaining spacing for the team’s star playmakers like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren. And with the Thunder likely resting key players during stretches of the regular season, especially during back-to-backs, Sandfort could find himself called up and ready.
Low-Risk, High-Upside Bet
Ultimately, signing Payton Sandfort as an undrafted free agent is the type of low-risk, high-upside move that good organizations make. There’s no pressure on the Thunder to get immediate results from him, and there’s no massive financial investment. What they gain is a 6-foot-7 shooter with one of the best free-throw strokes in recent college basketball, a high-IQ feel for the game, and an eagerness to earn everything he gets.
Sandfort himself embodies the underdog mindset. “No one was really giving me a chance to have a good or great career here at Iowa,” he said earlier this year. “I was kind of under-recruited. I came out of COVID. I was just hoping I could make an impact.”
He did at Iowa. And now, in Oklahoma City, he gets to chase a new dream—one where a role player with the right tools, in the right system, and with the right mindset, can make an impact on the game’s biggest stage.
Payton Sandfort may not have been drafted, but don’t count him out.
He’s exactly the kind of bet Oklahoma City loves to win.
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