Waters III: Thunder 'Demotion' A Sign of What's to Come?

But despite of his obvious talent, his situation with Oklahoma City is unique. He falls into the category of players who certainly have the potential to be full-contract players, but just at a bad time. The Thunder are currently facing one of the league's biggest roster crunches, which puts it in a tough decision regarding the players towards the bottom of the pecking order on offense. 

That's why it almost seemed harsh to let go of Waters III back in June, when it looked to be that the forward's time in his hometown was up. He wasn't one of the team's go-to scorers, and Oklahoma City had too many players. But instead of cutting ties completely, Waters III found his way back to the Thunder on a two-way contract. 

He was demoted, which isn't the worst thing in the world for him as he now gets to continue to play close to home and in familiar surroundings, but the sentiment still stands.

Waters III's unique case does bring about an interesting development regarding Oklahoma City's roster. While it seems a even a little juvenile, letting players go simply because there isn't enough roster space is hard to do. Teams don't want to do it sometimes as much as players don't want to hear it, and Waters III was likely no exception for the front office. 

In two seasons with the Thunder, Waters III averaged 6.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game while shooting 36% from 3-point range — a rather high shooting clip for a guy who hasn't seen too much NBA action throughout his career.

Oklahoma City obviously liked what they saw, so instead of letting him go, they brought him back in a smaller role, enabling them to still access his basketball talent while keeping room for the the remaining roster players. By October, the Thunder's roster will need to be completely formed, and Waters III's two-way deal furthers that process, but unfortunately, there is only one more two-way spot left. 

That means that as Oklahoma City continues to weigh its options, releasing a player to bring him back on a smaller deal can only work once more before the cutoff, making Waters III once again special case. He's proven himself in Oklahoma City, so much so that the team wanted to keep him around.

So, Waters III's situation may not be a sign of what's to come as the Thunder continue to navigate its roster crunch, but he does give an example of its depth. And it also shows that the Thunder are building sometimes that players see as worth-it, even it means coming back on a smaller contract.

Waters III's decision to return says a lot more than just his desire to stay at home, in that case.