Thunder waive Hoard, sign Frazier Jr., Diakite out with hip fracture

The Oklahoma City Thunder have announced a series of news within the last day. All are about bottom-of-roster guys.

First, they waived Jaylen Hoard a day after bringing him back. Hoard played 19 games last season with the Thunder, where he averaged 6.1 points and 3.4 rebounds.

A training camp roster opened after the team waived Rob Edwards.

The Thunder was Hoard’s second stint with the team short of owning his G League rights and assigned him to the Oklahoma City Blue, along with Edwards, this season.

With a roster spot open, the Thunder quickly filled it with the signing of Melvin Frazier Jr., who was signed to a non-guaranteed deal after the release of Hoard.

Frazier Jr. averaged 1.9 points in 29 career NBA games.

Frazier Jr. played for the Blue during the G League Bubble season, averaging 6.8 points and 3.4 rebounds. Frazier Jr. will most likely follow the same plan where he is assigned to the Blue.

In injury-related news, the Thunder announced that Mamadi Diakite suffered a left hip fracture playing against his former team in the Milwaukee Bucks last preseason game.

Diakite was recently brought on to the team and claimed via waivers after the Bucks released him.

When asked how much this long-term injury will affect Diakite’s chances of making the NBA roster, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said, “availability matters, but there’s a lot of other factors that go into those decisions. It doesn’t change much.”