Four Oklahoma City Thunder players will not be active for the final preseason game against the Chicago Bulls, head coach Mark Daigneault said prior to the game on Friday.
Guard Ty Jerome, forward Darius Miller and forward Josh Hall are all inactive for their third games of the preseason. Rookie guard Theo Maledon will not play due to rest purposes.
Daigneault declined to go into specifics about what is keeping Jerome, Miller and Hall sidelined, but said they are all on a return-to-play track and are doing workouts with the team.
He has previously described their conditions as “bumps and bruises.”
Daigneault does not believe any of them will be sidelined long-term.
All three players are new to the Thunder. Jerome, a second-year guard, was acquired from the Phoenix Suns in the Chris Paul trade. Miller was received from the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the Steven Adams deal, and Josh Hall signed as an undrafted free agent.
The three have yet to make their debuts for Oklahoma City.
Maledon, meanwhile, impressed in his two preseason games with the club. He posted 20 points in his first game, scored 11 in his second and is averaging just under 30 minutes per game.
It would be unsurprising if he has carved out a backup guard role to start the season.
In front of him appears to be George Hill, who will start for the Thunder on Friday. Hill scored 11 points in the preseason opener against the San Antonio Spurs but did not play last game against the Bulls on Wednesday.
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Joining Hill in the starting lineup will be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Darius Bazley and Al Horford.
Oklahoma City is 1-1 in the preseason and is looking to close it out with a win over the Bulls, who beat them Wednesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
