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“Honored to have the opportunity to fulfill my dream play for the Thunder and do all we can to help the team win, so really looking forward to getting started,” Josh Huestis said at his Thunder introductory press conference on June 27, 2014.
Josh Huestis would eventually get started, but not in the NBA.
While Kevin Durant and company scrimmaged, he watched from the stands.
Eventually signing with the fresh to OKC developmental team, the Blue.
Making Huestis the first ever first round draft pick to sign with the D-League.
An agreement one of his agents called, “A once in a blue moon type deal.”
“I didn’t really know what to expect,” Huestis said from insdie the Blue’s practice facility. “I came into it open to whatever happened. I think it was a really good choice for me to make and for the organization to make to send me here because I think I’ve learned a lot, and I think it’s going to help me in my career.”
Blue head coach Mark Daigneault says, he thinks it was inevitable that a player would use this route for their career.
The move comes with a sacrifice however.
Huestis made a fraction of what NBA players do with the Blue, but he’s closely monitored by the Thunder and gains a valuable chance to grow.
“I think it’s going to be something people look at and it makes a lot of sense,” said Mark Daigneault, Blue head coach. “He played a ton of minutes this year and he had a ton of growth. I have to imagine it’s way more growth than a player would get sitting on the end of a bench as an inactive player.”
“This way I get to play a lot more and it gets me the experience on the court, which is amazing,” Huestis said. “I still get to play against good competition and I get to work with an amazing staff and get a lot of attention, so that’s definitely some of the perks.”
Mitch McGary shares a special bond with Huestis.
The Thunder picked McGary just eight spots prior to Josh in last June’s draft.
Before making a late season splash with the Thunder, Mitch recuperated from injury and built his game up with the Blue.
“It’s good to get that development and have such one on one interaction with the coach,” McGary said. “It really helps developing their skills on and off the court.”
The Blue play their home games just across the street from the Peake.
Meaning Josh works just yards away from his goal of playing in the NBA.
While some may view this as a difficult situation, Huestis uses the scenario to constantly challenge himself to help reach his goal of jumping across here at Reno Avenue.
“I wouldn’t say it’s difficult,” Huestis said. “I use it more as motivation. It’s nice to be able to look across the street and see where I want to be one day. So I just look at that as motivation and to help push myself even harder.”
As for off the court, Daigneault says basketball is what the Stanford grad does, but not who he is.
Making Huestis really unique and special.
“If you took basketball away from him, he would be an unbelievably contributing member of society,” Daigneault said. “He could do anything. He could be a senator someday. There’s nothing you could tell me that he could accomplish that would surprise me about him.”
When it comes to accomplishing his future, that remains unclear.
The organization’s personnel says, Huestis’ status is currently up in the air.
Adding you may see Josh on the Thunder’s summer league team.
For now, all that’s certain is the Thunder own Josh’s NBA rights if or when he makes the jump to the league.
“I think the uncertainty of it is a great motivator,” Huestis said. “To push me so I can take away the uncertainty. Control everything I can control. I can control how hard I work this summer and if I do that everything will take care of itself.”
