The Thunder Just Waived Dalen Terry Five Days After Signing Him

The Oklahoma City Thunder just waived a guy they signed to a two-year deal less than a week ago, proving that NBA job security is a complete illusion.

Marc Stein reported Sunday that Oklahoma City officially completed a trade with the Sacramento Kings to acquire rookie guard Nique Clifford. To make the math work and clear a roster spot, the Thunder waived Dalen Terry, tossing him right back into the free-agency blender.

"Marc Stein reported the official completion of the trade and waiver on Sunday."

Terry inked a two-year contract on Tuesday to help stop the bleeding for a Thunder roster that currently looks like a triage tent. Chet Holmgren is out for months with a torn patellar tendon, Jalen Williams is recovering from ankle surgery, and Cason Wallace is down with a torn labrum. Terry was supposed to be the emergency duct tape. Instead, his Thunder tenure lasted about as long as a gallon of milk in a hot car.

In return, Oklahoma City gets Clifford, a rookie who actually started his NBA debut for Sacramento on Wednesday before immediately popping up on the injury report with a right hamstring strain. Because if there is one thing the Thunder need right now, it is absolutely another guy with an active medical file.

For anyone trying to handicap Thunder games or touch their player props right now, this rotation is a complete guessing game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is basically playing one-on-five while the front office cycles through available bodies like they are swiping on a dating app.

Clifford will slot into an Oklahoma City depth chart that desperately needs warm bodies, assuming his hamstring actually heals up. As for Terry, the former Chicago Bulls first-round pick is back on the market, ready to be the answer to another contender's trivia question by next weekend.