Thunder's Brooks Barnhizer: Enters rotation in Friday's win
Rotowire
Barnhizer played seven minutes off the bench in Friday's 117-116 win over the Grizzlies, finishing with zero points (0-1 FG, 0-1 3Pt) and two rebounds.
After recently recovering from a left ankle sprain, Barnhizer got the chance to make his first appearance for the Thunder since Dec. 25 while Oklahoma City was without seven players due to injury. Assuming the Thunder get at least one of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle), Chet Holmgren (shins) or Cason Wallace (toe) back for their next game Sunday versus the Heat, Barnhizer will likely drop back out of the rotation. Barnhizer is on a two-way deal with the Thunder and could soon be assigned to the G League's Oklahoma City Blue in order to pick up more extended minutes.
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Thunder's Brooks Barnhizer: Sits out in coach's decision
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Barnhizer (coach's decision) went unused off the bench in Wednesday's 129-125 overtime win over the Jazz.
The two-way player had most recently missed four consecutive games in the G League due to a left ankle sprain, but he was deemed healthy enough to rejoin the Thunder ahead of Wednesday's contest. Even though Oklahoma City had just 12 players available against Utah, Barnhizer and fellow two-way player Chris Youngblood didn't end up seeing any run while head coach Mark Daigneault went with a 10-man rotation in the close win. Once the Thunder get another player or two back from injury, Barnhizer will likely head back to the G League in order to see regular minutes.
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Thunder's Brooks Barnhizer: Muted role continues
Rotowire
Barnhizer provided two points (1-1 FG), two rebounds and one assist across seven minutes during Monday's 126-109 win over New Orleans.
Barnhizer continues to play limited minutes off the bench, having exceeded 15 minutes only once in the past seven games. Much of his production has come during garbage time, a common situation given the dominance Oklahoma City has displayed thus far. He should continue to hover around the backend of the rotation, making him a non-factor in all fantasy formats.
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Thunder's Brooks Barnhizer: Sees 14 minutes in win
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Barnhizer chipped in two points (1-2 FG) and three rebounds over 14 minutes during Thursday's 141-135 double-overtime win over Indiana.
The Thunder have a number of injuries right now, allowing Barnhizer to see some run at the back end of the rotation. The No. 44 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Barnhizer has averaged 8.3 minutes through two games to open the regular season, and he's likely to fall completely out of the mix once the team gets some reinforcements.
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Thunder's Brooks Barnhizer: Promoted to starting role
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Barnhizer is in the starting lineup for Saturday's preseason game against the Pacers.
The Thunder will be depleted for this preseason tune-up, and Barnhizer will have the chance to get an extended run to see what he can do. However, he's not expected to play a big role in the rotation in the regular season.
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Thunder's Brooks Barnhizer: Returning to bench
Rotowire
Barnhizer will come off the bench in Thursday's preseason game against Charlotte, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.
Barnhizer will retreat to the bench after putting together a 16-point performance Monday against the Mavs. The Thunder will give the usual starters minutes Thursday evening, as Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein draw the start in the frontcourt.
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Thunder's Brooks Barnhizer: Starting Monday
Rotowire
Barnhizer will start in Monday's preseason game against the Mavericks, Brandon Rahbar of DailyThunder.com reports.
With the Thunder resting several players in the second half of the team's back-to-back set, Barnhizer will get the starting nod against Dallas. The two-way player recorded six points (1-2 FG, 4-5 FT), four steals, three rebounds, one assist and one block across 25 minutes in Sunday's win over the Hornets.
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Thunder's Brooks Barnhizer: Efficient in SL win
Rotowire
Barnhizer finished with 19 points (8-12 FG, 3-6 FT), nine rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocks during Wednesday's 95-81 Summer League win against the Pelicans.
Barnhizer continues to demonstrate his ability to be an incredibly efficient scorer, shooting 66.6 percent from the floor while also crashing the glass with a team-high nine boards. The Northwestern product has now scored 17 or more points in back-to-back games while missing only six shots over that span.
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Thunder's Brooks Barnhizer: Incredible efficiency in SL win
Rotowire
Barnhizer totaled 17 points (8-10 FG, 1-2 3Pt), six steals, five rebounds, two assists and one block across 25 minutes in Saturday's 104-85 Summer League win over the Pacers.
Barnhizer was sharp Saturday, hitting 80 percent of his shots and racking up an impressive six steals. The No. 44 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft posted averages of 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks in 36.8 minutes per game across 17 appearances for Northwestern during the 2024-25 college season.
