While the Oklahoma City Thunder generally plays deep rotations during the regular season, there’s some real talent towards the end of the bench with players on on full-time contracts that have yet to earn the opportunity to showcase what they can bring to the floor.

Not including the trio of two-way players on the Thunder roster, there has been a clear set of four pieces that have been in a tier of their own outside of the regular rotation.

What’s interesting about these four — which speaks to the depth of this team — is that they all have the ability to make a real impact at the NBA level. These are players that have a wealth of basketball experience at the professional level and have proven they belong. At some point during the stretch of an 82-game season, all four of these players will eventually hear their names called and be asked to go contribute. When that time comes, there’s something unique that each of them bring.

For starters, Vasilije Micic is an experienced lead guard, although being new to the NBA. The game is certainly different in this league relative to the international style of play, but playmaking, vision and 3-point shooting are all skills that translate nonetheless. Whether it’s an injury at some point during the season that requires Micic to step into a prominent role, or being a veteran presence as a backup point guard to mix things up at some point, it wouldn’t be surprising for the Serbian to work his way into the rotation.

A legitimate sharpshooter, Davis Bertans has proven he has the ability to be one of the league’s premier 3-point shooters. Especially given his height at 6-foot-10, the 31-year-old is able to rise above defenders to knock down contested shots from the perimeter. To this point, he’s primarily played in spot minutes situationally as Oklahoma City needs an offensive spark, but he hasn’t yet cracked the nightly rotation. The defensive side of the ball is an area of weakness for him, but there will likely be a stretch of the season in which Bertans gets hot from beyond the arc and helps propel a winning streak for the Thunder.

Following a fantastic rookie season after being selected with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Tre Mann had a down sophomore season in which he seemingly took a step back. While he’s proven he can create for himself and generate points in a hurry, it’s the other parts of the game that he’s been unable to show to earn minutes. For him, it’s all about defending, making the right reads and keeping the ball moving on offense. Regardless, his services off the bench will be needed at some point this season and there will be at least one game in which he turns into a microwave scorer in the flow of a game and helps Oklahoma City get over the hump.

Finally, Aleksej Pokusevski is just 21 years old and in a contract season, but has logged the fewest minutes of any player on the 15-man roster. The 7-footer has suffered several injuries over the past year which has hindered his development. Although he had a really good start to the 2022-23 campaign, he’s since been either off the court due to injury or completely out of the rotation even when healthy. When he gets his chance, he provides playmaking and defensive disruptiveness, but it’s still unclear what it will take for him to earn minutes.

Every single member of the Thunder’s 15-man roster brings something to the table. The depth of the team is real, and each player will get their chance to shine at some point over the course of 82 games.