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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – After taking a long and winding road, one of Shelby County’s greatest basketball players is one step closer to making his debut in the Association.

Alex Reese signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, Sept. 27, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a one-year minimum deal that is typically not guaranteed. The deal allows the Thunder to invite Reese to their training camp, where he can try out for a two-way contract with the G-League’s Oklahoma City Blue or be retained on the minimum.

Reese was a two-time Shelby County Player of the Year for Pelham, sharing the award as a junior in 2015-16 before winning it outright as a senior in 2016-17. He averaged a double-double in each season, including 25.4 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2 blocks per game as a junior.

He helped the Panthers reach the Sweet 16 as a junior and the Elite Eight during his senior season after the program had only reached the Sweet 16 one prior time as a program.

As a result, he was named the 6A Player of the Year and to the Alabama All-Star Team as a senior and was a two-time All-State First Team selection.

Reese went on to Alabama, where he played four seasons with the Crimson Tide. He worked his way into earning a regular starting spot as a junior in 2019-20, leading the team in blocks with 30 and was third in rebounding with 4.8 boards per game.

He made his biggest impact as a senior in 2020-21 when he hit the game-tying 3-pointer in the Sweet 16 against UCLA to send the game to overtime. During that season, he made nine starts and averaged 5.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in 33 games.

However, Reese’s journey to the pros took a different path after he went undrafted. He spent a year away from the game and returned home to work as a bartender before going overseas and playing in Luxembourg.

He got his shot in the NBA G-League with the Rip City Remix in the 2023-24 season. Playing for the Portland Trail Blazers affiliate, he averaged 13.2 points and 4.9 rebounds across 32 regular season games and shot 41.5 percent from behind the arc.

That season gave Reese a spot on the Trail Blazers’ Summer League team in July, where he made five appearances and averaged 7.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.

Now, he’ll get a chance to showcase his skills for the Oklahoma City Thunder in hopes of finally completing his journey to the NBA.