The calendar has flipped to August. Which means we're in the dog days of the NBA's year-round calendar. Little will happen over the next two months as teams across the league prepare for the 2026-27 season. Before we move on, though, let's reflect one last time on last year.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a league-best 64-18 regular-season record. Juggling injuries all year, they overcame notable absences all year. Alas, they fell short of a second NBA championship with a 2026 Western Conference Finals exit.
To reflect on their 2025-26 season, Thunder Wire will conduct player grades for all 20 players who suited up for them this past year. Sixteenth up is Brooks Barnhizer , who was on a two-way deal:
1.7 points
2.0 rebounds
0.6 assists
38.0% shooting
29.2% 3-point shooting
70.0% free-throw shooting
True-shooting percentage: 45.1%
Usage rate: 10.6%
Win shares: 0.6
VORP: minus-0.1
N/A
2026-27: $679K (two-way)
Let's chalk the first year up to a learning curve. Barnhizer learned just how difficult it is to make the NBA. The two-way player learned the ropes at both levels and now has a wealth of knowledge to make the proper adjustments. Or else, his time in OKC could come to an end sooner rather than later. The 24-year-old ended OKC's run of top-percentile outcomes among their two-way group.
Not much can really be taken away from his first year. Barnhizer seldom played on the Thunder. Most of his playing time happened in inconsequential parts of the game. The few times he played legitimate minutes as the top of the rotation sat out, he didn't really have a moment to leave a lasting memory. One way or the other.
Opposing teams usually dared Barnhizer to beat them from the outside. That's something that's going to happen until he puts out serious tape that his outside jumper should be respected. We're still a long way away from that materializing. And when he had the ball in his hands, he was a little sporadic. It was always an adventure when he decided to lower his shoulders and bully his way to the rim.
In the G League, Barnhizer put up numbers. He averaged 18.2 points and 8.8 rebounds in 21 games. While fine on the surface, how he got those stats is a little concerning. Sure, he put up numbers as an on-ball creator. But that won't really be his ideal role at the NBA. The outside jumper was rarely used at just two attempts per night. That's just not going to cut it.
It's difficult to figure out what Barnhizer's ideal NBA role would be. I love the motor. He's relentless as a defender. But the offensive skillset is extremely raw. And at 24 years old, that's not something you want to hear. Think his best route is oversimplifying his bag. But his hitched jumper might not make that feasible.
Of last year's two-way group, the Thunder only brought Barnhizer back for a second season. They must still be fans of his potential. Even if his rookie year was kinda whatever. Let's see if another year can speed up his developmental path. For guys of his status, you only get a couple of years' worth of grace before results are required. As was the case since he joined OKC in the 2025 NBA draft, the jumper will be his make-or-break skill.
For what it's worth, I like Barnhizer's intangibles. He has a good head on his shoulders and puts in the work. He says all of the right things. He understands what his role in the NBA will be and what needs to happen for that to materialize. His physical and shot limitations might be his downfall, but I think he's going to squeeze every drop of juice that he can out of his current opportunity in OKC.
Because Barnhizer is on a two-way deal, he can only be active for 50 regular-season games. As last year's marathon showed, getting in the ballpark range of that number should be feasible. At certain points in the season, you need all 18 of your guys to help out one way or another. Even if it's just in an innings-eating role. Also, expect him to spend plenty of time on the OKC Blue. That's where he'll develop the most and play most of his minutes.
This upcoming season might be it for Barnhizer in terms of NBA runway. The point of two-way contracts is for just a couple of seasons. Anything beyond that rarely happens. Usually, teams just find someone else to fill one of the three spots. Or the guy shows enough to get converted to a standard deal. The Thunder are hoping for the latter.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: 2025-26 Thunder player grades: Brooks Barnhizer
