Hello again! I am back from my literal one year hiatus!!! I honestly had a ton of writer’s block because I was not prepared for how good the OKC Thunder were in 2023-2024 and a lot of my pre-planned ideas from last summer quickly fell out the window when they blew past my expectations! We’ve once again arrived at that special time of the year that we call Draft Day - and I’m back with my third annual Draft Day edition of Ankit’s Cool OKC Thunder Newsletter. If you haven’t seen my previous ones, here are the links to 2022 and 2023 if you are interested!
This draft has been talked about quite a bit over the last year and I’ve come to conclusion (along with many other people much smarter than me) that it is not a strong draft. If your team is looking for a franchise cornerstone to eventually lead win you a championship, I do not think you will find that player here. However, I do believe this is a very deep draft with a lot of quality role players. So a team like OKC is in a good position to acquire a player who could slot into their rotation, play at a high level, and fit in with their identity as a team. My big board will be roughly based on the best player available, however this year I am accounting a little more for fit than in years past.
Without further ado (and for the sake of minimizing word count!) - here we go!
Big Board
Tier 0 - Probably out of Reach
These 9 players I don’t really see being available on OKC but I would love to have them on the team. I have my preferred order, but I think in reality these 9 could shake out in any order.
Alexander Sarr - Mobile Rim Protector
Reed Shepard - Lights out shooter
Ron Holland - Do it all Wing
Matas Buzelis - Do it all Wing
Stephon Castle - Defensive Guard
Nikola Topic - Floor General
Zacharie Risacher - 3&D Wing
Donovan Clingan - Mobile Rim Protector
Dalton Knecht - High Volume Scorer
Tier 1 - The Sweet Spot
Jared McCain
Floor Spacing Guard: Payton Pritchard, Patty Mills-ish, short Klay Thompson-lite?
Stats: 16ppg, 5rpg, 2apg, 1spg – 46/41.4/88.5 shooting splits, 61.1% true shooting
He was two days into college and three lectures behind, and yet I knew Jared McCain was going to be in the mix for OKC’s draft prospects. Jared McCain is arguably the best shooter in this draft, maybe (and it’s a strong maybe) only second to Reed Shephard from Kentucky. He can get his shot off incredibly quickly and does an unbelievable job staying balanced. You can ask him to shoot in motion, in transition, running off screens - however you want it, he can do it. And his excellent 88.5% free throw percentage gives me supreme confidence that his shooting form will continue to excel as he enters the NBA.
The one thing about McCain that really impressed me was his ability to get to his spots and play at his own pace. He never felt truly rushed and was able to score at all 3 levels (42% from 2pt jumpers) whether he created for himself or was assisted by one of his teammates. In this same vein, I think he shows tremendous patience in attacking the rim and is more than capable of getting to the rim in his own slippery ways even if he is not the most physically gifted athlete. Once at the rim, he’s able to absorb contact pretty well with his stocky frame and has a deep layup package to get the ball through the net in a variety of ways.
His other strengths include being a very good defender for his size, averaging nearly 5 rebounds per game as a 6’3 point guard at Duke. He’s also a very good passer who will consistently make the right read and decision with the ball in a fairly selfless manner. His ability to play in transition is especially fun to watch given that he is an elite shooter from 3 and will force defenders to defend him tight as he’s running down the court.
McCain’s lack of size and athleticism are really the only big issues I have with him. He’s a 6’3 guard who isn’t super explosive. Tackling the latter issue first: I honestly don’t think being super fast and jumping super high is a dealbreaker especially when he is such a skilled player who has shown that he can produce at a high level with his limitations. The former issue is a little harder for me to get around on (though I think I am around it) simply because the Thunder generally do not love drafting small players who aren’t able to defend at elite levels (Dort and Wallace come to mind here). That said, Jared McCain - despite being small - defends with a ton of effort and has a very high motor and frankly that’s like 70% of being a good defender. He will get beaten off the dribble but he will work tirelessly to contest the shot in an effort to shepherd the opponent to his help. As an offball defender, he stays engaged and rotates very well and stays active which in the right team construct is enough (or even more than enough) to maintain an elite defense.
I love Jared McCain’s fit on offense and though I do have some concerns about how he’d fit defensively - I think I would be more than happy to have him on the Thunder. I see him as someone who could take over for Isaiah Joe in the future, and complement him in the meantime in a bomber lineup. The Thunder have done a pretty good job in maintaining an elite defense even with some sub-par defenders on the roster who play with effort so I am not getting too hung up on the defense woes here. And who knows, many of those defenders turned out to be pretty solid in the end after some development. I would be remiss to say I think Jared McCain has the right persona to fit in with this goofy Thunder squad and he would be very, very, very fun to watch post-game with the usual suspects.
Tristan da Silva
Comp: Cam Johnson, less physical/athletic Franz Wagner, Keegan Murray lite, Danillo Gallinari
Stats: 16ppg, 5rpg, 2.5 apg, 1spg – 49.3/39.5/83.5 shooting splits, 60.6% true shooting
Tristan da Silva is what I would describe as a jack of all trades, master of none prospect. But I think the full Shakespearean quote describes why I think da Silva and OKC could be a great match: "A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one".
Offensively he is a do it all wing who can shoot the 3 ball with no issues. He shot 37% from 3 over his last 3 years in college while he was a full time starter and specifically shot 40% from spot up, 42% off screens, and 41% on catch and shoot attempts. Simply put, those are absolutely fantastic numbers for a shooter and that Shakespeare quote doesn’t really do him justice in that regard. Add on to the fact that his shooting ability translates very well to the midrange and he has very good touch and finishing ability around the rim, Tristan da Silva is an excellent 3 level scorer who can score in a variety of ways. He’s able to score both on his own self created opportunities and especially thrives well off the ball as a cutter using his length to attack the rim aggressively. He has a reliable handle and can navigate traffic effectively and keep a possession alive and make the “right” read more often than not. And when he needs to, he can really thread the needle.
Defensively, da Silva isn’t gonna blow you out of the water, but he also isn’t going to hurt your team. He is a very solid team defender who knows how to be in the right position. He moves really well for someone who is 6’9 and has great anticipation. I expect him to be able to function in any team’s defensive concepts, though I wouldn’t expect him to lock down their best player necessarily.
I think where da Silva struggles is really his lack of athleticism. He isn’t the biggest or quickest guy (but also is not the smallest and slowest either) and can struggle against quicker players. Da Silva’s rebounding numbers and ability are impacted here as well. He also won’t be much of a rim protector at all since he is more of a lengthy wing rather than a true power forward or center. His lack of athleticism will show itself on the offensive end in that he won’t be blowing by his defender and he can struggle to get (and finish) to the rim if he’s defended in an overly physical manner. That said, I think his projected role in the NBA will be more of a play finisher on offense and his lack of self creation may not matter too much. If his shot isn’t there, I think he is more than capable of keeping the offense moving with his passing ability that I mentioned earlier.
Tristan da Silva’s fit on OKC feels very seamless. The Thunder love to draft guys who can dribble, pass, and shoot and da Silva checks all 3 of those boxes. Combine that with his ability to process the game at a high level and stay disciplined to team defensive concepts - I think he can be a very reliable plug and play fit despite his (projected) lower ceiling as a 23 year old draft prospect. Ultimately I can see him filling into a very similar role as Aaron Wiggins (another 23 year old draftee) on the Thunder as a lengthy wing to give JDub (and whoever becomes our new 4-man) some rest. I would be very surprised if da Silva didn’t have a solid career as a role player in the NBA, but I don’t see him ever being a star that can lead a team. For OKC, that should be just a-okay as they enter their (first) championship window.
Kyle Filipowski
Comp: Santi Aldama, Moritz Wagner, Kelly Olynyk
16ppg, 8rpg, 3apg, 1spg, 1.5 bpg – 50/35/67 shooting splits, 57.3% true shooting
Kyle “Flip” Filipowski was a 5 star recruit at Duke University who returned for his sophomore year and made some notable improvements to his game. The main appeal to Filipowski is his ability to dribble, pass and shoot while being 7 feet tall. He is surprisingly crafty and nimble when attacking the rim and has some great touch and finesse when finishing. His shooting ability as his size is quite impressive, and despite the numbers not quite matching the eye test (28% from 3) his Freshman year, his shooting improved quite a bit his Sophomore year (35%). Combine that with his great shooting form, I am fairly bullish on his ability to be a floor spacing big in the NBA who can score at all 3 levels on the right team and situation.
Outside of his shotmaking, Filipowski has proven to be a solid offensive hub where he can make good reads when he has the ball in his hands. And without the ball, he can serve as a great catch and shoot threat while also being able to cut/dive to the rim to get easy layups. I think it’s important to note that he played alongside Dereck Lively his freshman year which is a good indicator of him being able to play alongside another big - especially one that cannot space the floor - and still be effective. At his size, he has a great motor, which is evidenced in his offensive rebounding ability (~2.4 offensive rebounds a game).
Despite his massive frame, Flip actually moves pretty well in space and can keep up with offensive players on the perimeter well. This isn’t to say you can leave him on an island guarding Steph Curry, but I wouldn’t feel too bad having him handle a switch every now and again. His ability to close out on 3 point shooters without being out of control is a huge plus, especially for a team like OKC who has a bunch of defensive rotations in their scheme. I’ve also been impressed with his ability to read an offense and rotate to the right spot/man preemptively in order to defend an offensive possession. This skill in particular will go a long way in minimizing some of his natural flaws as a big man on defense.
I think where my questions start to arise are around his ability to be a rim protector. For all of his finesse and fancy footwork, I think Flip’s main flaw is he lacks the physicality and tough-minded playstyle to defend against bigger and stronger players. He has a tendency to get pushed around on defense which makes it very hard for him to be a consistent wall at the rim. He isn’t the most explosive of athletes either, so once he does get beat, it will be tough for him to recover.
Overall, there is certainly a spot on OKC’s roster to have him slide in and eat into some of the minutes that Jaylin Williams has gotten. I think JayWill was not a great rim protector, and my hope would be that Filipowski’s size (with some development) could hopefully lead to a more stalwart defense. That said, it’s not a surefire thing that Filipowski can be the rim protector that I hope since he really projects more like a really big wing (a la Kevin Durant) rather than a skilled center (a la Chet Holmgren). I like Filipowski in theory, and the right team can develop him to help him improve - I’m just unsure if OKC if he really provides significantly more value than Jaylin Williams. That said, if the Thunder did draft him, I would feel comfortable with him on the team because I like his skillset and size a lot.
Tier 2 - Other Options
Devin Carter
Comp: 2022-2023 Lu Dort-ish
19.7ppg, 8.7rpg, 3.6apg, 1.8spg – 47/37.6/74.9 shooting splits, 59.7% true shooting
Devin Carter is a small 6’3 guard with a gargantuan 6’9 wingspan who is able to use his pterodactyl arms to be one of the most oppressive perimeter defenders in this draft class. He navigates screens really well, and has very good intuition and understanding of how offenses want to operate which allows him to attack passing lanes and force turnovers with his long arms. He’s also an unbelievably good rebounder for someone as small as he is. Defense is ~70% effort and when combined with great instincts, physical tools and the fact that he plays with a crazy high motor - it’s hard for me to not see him be an impact defender in the NBA.
Many of my questions for him come more on the offensive side of the ball for him. Notably, do I trust his 3 point shot? He’s only had 1 great season of 3 point shooting in his 3 years at college which is not abnormal for a lot of players in this class. What I don’t love is that he has weird shooting mechanics that combined with his small frame and small sample size over the course of his collegiate career - I’m uncertain if this shot will actually translate. He has really good burst and a knack for contorting his body when finishing at the rim which may be helpful. But I think he has a frantic playstyle which needs to calm down a bit so that he can play under control within the bounds of an offensive system. As a small guard, it’s important to have some semblance of a midrange game in the scenario where you are attacking a bigger player in a drop and he hasn’t shown anything in that respect (yet) either.
OKC has continued to double down on its perimeter defense and I personally believe you can never have too many elite perimeter defenders. A rotation of Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, newly acquired Alex Caruso and the potential addition of Devin Carter is tantalizing. Combine him with renowned shooting coach Chip Engelland, and maybe we are able to fix the shot and make him into an elite 3 and D guard. It could certainly make sense for OKC to make this pick, but I worry that a 4th defensive guard specialist (especially given how good the first 3 already are) will just lack the minutes to develop. Even if I consider this a longterm play in a world where we move on from Caruso/Dort in the future, I just think this team has bigger needs that can be addressed via the draft.
Cody Williams
Comp: Taller Aaron Wiggins-lite kinda?
Stats: 12ppg, 3rpg, 2apg, 1.6apg, – 55/41.5/71.4 shooting splits, 62.0% true shooting
Cody Williams is a prospect that Thunder fans have become all too familiar with as he is the younger brother of Oklahoma City’s very own Jalen Williams. Unlike his brother he lacks explosive athleticism to get to and finish at the rim, but he moves super smoothly for a player of his size. This shows up in the best ways when he is playing in transition where he can avoid having to break down a defender. His shooting touch is fairly good though he lacks a large shot volume - the mechanics look solid and I think can be good in the NBA. Cody lacks great self creation ability whether that is from the 3 point line or getting to the rim and likely projects as more of a play finisher than creator on a team at this point. Defensively, his fluid movement combined with a large frame have made him a great defender who should be able to slot into a number of schemes.
Overall, Cody Williams is a so-so jack of all trades wing with a lot of potential if he can continue to develop his skills. Frankly, this is the exact type of player that OKC would draft in years past, and we have his brother on the team to boot! Unfortunately, I just don’t know if I can see him breaking into our top 9 rotation at this point to get the minutes he needs. Aaron Wiggins is a great measuring stick to put against Cody, and I just don’t see what Cody can do right now that Wiggins isn’t already better at. As fun as it would be to have the Williams brothers on the same team - I think it would be best for both of their careers if they played on separate teams to allow for them to both grow without the pressure of the other looming over them.
Zach Edey
Comp: Very poor man’s Yao? Ivica Zubac
Stats: 24ppg, 12 rpg, 2.3apg, 2bpg — 62.3/0/71.1 shooting splits, 65.9% true shooting
At long last I get to write about my beloved titan from my alma mater: Zach Edey. He is an absolutely gargantuan human being standing at 7’4 with a 7’10.5 wingspan and just as strong as he looks. Edey boasted some fancy footwork and a small, but very reliable set of post moves that led to him making 62% of his field goals including 85% of his shots at the rim. He is an absolutely tremendous rebounder who eats up space like no other player did in college. What’s most impressive about his college resume is Zach Edey was the absolute focal point of the Purdue offense for 2 seasons. His 32% USG rate honestly seems… low for how much the team relied on him to do absolutely everything for this Purdue team. Every person in the NCAA knew he was going to get the ball and defended him with double (and sometimes triple) teams because he was unstoppable once he got to the paint. As a result, he developed a pretty good ability to pass out of pressure and allowed Purdue to become the leading 3 point shooting team. With a frame like his I fully expect Edey to be able to be a very reliable lob threat in a pick and roll with a huge catch radius.
Defensively, I think is where people have question marks because the NBA simply does not cater to players as big as Zach anymore. Surprisingly, he was a pretty good defender in drop coverage and is able to defend in space fairly well (for a big). He’s obviously not gonna lock down Steph Curry on the perimeter, but I think he can in front of an average perimeter player decently. And once again, a player as big as Zach Edey was an incredibly good rim protector in college and I fully expect him to be able to continue that in the NBA.
I think my actual question marks for Edey are can he function in a lesser offensive role in the NBA? Especially on the Thunder, he will not get the kind of touches that he got at Purdue and will that be an issue for him? I’m optimistic given that he improved from being a random backup to Isaac Haas to one of the greatest college players ever. The other big concern I have for Zach is he does not shoot a ton of outside shots. He’s a decent free throw shooter (72% on 11 fta which is pretty impressive) and had some cool clips at the combine making a lot of 3s - but ultimately, he did not make (or take) any 3 point shots in college so I don’t think I can expect him to be a floor spacer in the NBA.
His fit on the Thunder would be interesting to say the least. He would be a completely new kind of player on the Thunder who would provide a different look than Chet or JayWill - and do very well in that look. I just don’t think that look is something that OKC needs. I don’t think the Thunder need to adapt their game to other teams, but instead rather do what Boston did: double and triple down on your identity and force other teams to adapt to you. And because of the lack of floor spacing, I just don’t think Zach Edey is a good fit here 😭(as much I love him).
Daron Holmes II
Comp: Jalen Smith, Naz Reid-lite
Stats: 20.4ppg, 8.5rpg, 2.6apg, 2.3bpg – 54/38.6/71.3 shooting splits, 62.7% true shooting
Daron Holmes II is one of the hottest draft risers this cycle, and for very good reason. He’s a very productive 6’10 forward with a 7’1 wingspan who can spread the floor quite well (38.6% from 3). He’s a very physical player who makes his presence known especially as a screener. I like his ability to set screens quickly and roll immediately after the screen is set. Decisiveness is a quality that will be necessary at the NBA level. He’s very athletic and able to bring the ball up the court and go all the way to the rim if given a little bit of space. And if he’s contested at the rim, he can take contact and finish with nice touch. His handle is also fairly functional for a player of his size and he uses it well to reliably by time to get out of trouble when double teamed though he may struggle to find the right pass to the open man in these scenarios. Defensively, he’s a very solid defender who can move well to stay in front of defenders. His instincts are very good with his positioning, but I think he struggles with the nuance of “how” to defend a player once he’s in front of him. Should he play them tight? Should he give them space? Should he keep his hands up or down? In this sense, Holmes is actually a little indecisive, but I think this is a quality that can be coached into him. I think he can be a solid secondary rim protector, but he can get pushed around a little bit by bigger and stronger players who are establishing position.
Overall, there is a lot to like about Holmes’ game! I think he does a lot of things well that are required out of a modern big. He can defend in space reasonably and can also provide resistance at the rim. Offensively, he provides a good vertical lob threat while also being able to space the floor. What makes the fit not quite perfect on OKC is his inability to be a good passer to make plays for his teammates. OKC has consistently been looking for dribble, pass, shoot players and Holmes doesn’t quite check all of those boxes. That said, I think there is a need to explore backup bigs behind Chet as I don’t think Jaylin Williams, for all of his offensive gifts (as a dribble, pass, shoot guy) doesn’t quite provide the defensive resistance I would like yet. I think Holmes can certainly compete for JayWill’s role as the backup 5 and that could potentially bring out the best in both of them. One way or another, OKC would end up with a better backup center if we drafted Daron Holmes II.
Kel’El Ware
Comp: Brook Lopez if the shot is real, Robin Lopez if it’s not. Christian Wood-ish
Stats: 15.9 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 1.5apg, 1.9bpg — 58.6/42.5/63.4 shooting splits, 62.1% true shooting
Kel’el Ware is an extremely gifted center with a massive body and large catch radius which allows him to be one of the most devastating lob threats in this draft. For a person of his size, he moves surprisingly well and has shown fairly good touch in the midrange and at the basket. I’m not sure if I quite believe the longterm shooting prospects(42% on small sample size) from deep because of his iffy 64% free throw percentage. I’m not quite sure what to make because the touch in the midrange is impressive - so jury’s out for me here. The rest of his offensive game is more traditional with a solid repertoire of post moves to get by a defender and ability to finish strong once at the rim. However, defenders can make him struggle if they deny him the ball or are able to push him off the spots that he wants to catch the ball in. I think that’s a bit of a red flag given he’s nearly always the biggest player on the court and should be able to impose his physicality on them. Ware is not a big creator by any means, but he can make the occasional good pass out of the high post and knows to pass out of double teams. I was impressed by his ability to find cutters from the strong side of the offense as well as dump off to the dunker spot when attacking the rim.
On the defensive side of the ball, he is a great shot blocker who can track the ball well with his hands. Outside of the rim, he struggles because he seems to not be totally engaged when defending in space. He also seemed to struggle to process what the offense is doing as a collective which made him slow to react as a help defender.
I think Kel’el Ware checks off a couple boxes for OKC and I do recognize that no prospect will be perfect. With that said, I think his lack of engagement on defense and slight skepticism around his shooting make me worry if he’ll actually be a better replacement than JayWill. I think he can certainly make an impact especially as a rebounder and lob threat, but I really want players who fit the OKC style of play. That said, if a team can develop his ability to stay engaged, I think he’s just a little consistency on the jumpshot away from being a long time NBA pro.
Yves Missi
Comp: Clint Capella, Isaiah Jackson
Stats: 10.7ppg, 5.6rpg, 1.5bpg — 61.4/0/61.6 shooting splits, 62.2 true shooting
If there was one player whose singular strengths would be to address the holes that the Thunder are deficient at, Yves Missi would be that guy. Standing at a towering 7’0 tall with a 7’6 wingspan, Yves Missi is your prototypical rim protecting, pick and roll lob catcher. He takes over 75% of his shots at the rim and makes a very impressive 72% of them while averaging ~2.5 dunks a game (fun!!!). Yves moves very well for a 7’0 center and can cover a lot of ground which should allow him to excel in drop coverage to protect the rim.
The downside to Missi is, he does not do anything else besides set screens, catch lobs, and protect the rim. His 49% ft accuracy gives me 0 hope that he will develop any kind of shot and if you thought the floor spacing was bad with Josh Giddey, I couldn’t imagine how it would look with Yves Missi. Missi also doesn’t really pass the ball at all and acts solely as a play finisher which is a very uncharacteristic quality of this Thunder squad who all are willing to pass up a good shot for a better shot.
Ultimately, the clamoring for a traditional rim protecting 5 on the internet does not convince me that using OKC’s only first round pick on a very limited lob catching 5 is a good use of resources. If Sam Presti wanted to get a player like this, I think we can leasily get Clint Capella (who is maybe the highest end outcome for Missi) from Atlanta for a few 2nd round picks (or a late late first).
Tidjane Salaun
Comp: baby baby baby baby Giannis
Stats: 9.7ppg, 3.9rpg, 1apg, 1spg — 40.6/31.6/74.8 shooting splits, 52.3% true shooting
Tidjane Salaun follows Bilal Coulibaly and Ousmane Dieng as next in line as the super raw French prospects to enter the NBA draft. He has unbelievable physical tools with his massive frame (that can likely continue to add a lot of good muscle) and a physical playstyle. It’s also noteworthy that he is a willing 3 point shooter though he isn’t that accurate yet. Everything about his physical tools screams that he could be a very dominant player in the future - he just needs time to get there.
And I think that’s really where his strengths end. Salaun is a massively hyped prospect, and I think if I squint hard enough I can see why people like him. I just think his lack of real basketball skills besides “playing hard” and “trying his best” while “being massive” are not useful skills for OKC. And more importantly, I just don’t think he will get an opportunity to develop into anything more than that. Adding on top of the fact that I think Ousmane Dieng is just outright better of a player, despite his flaws, and is the current big bet for OKC - I don’t really see Salaun working out in OKC and I think he is one of my least favorite fits for this team.
That said, I think if this guy gets 2-3 years to really develop and work through growing pains - I can see him being a Giannis-esque type of player who can dominate the floor with his physicality. I felt it was important to mention him as he has been at the top of many people’s draft boards so I thought I would do my own due diligence as well.
Tier 3 - Honorable Mentions
Here are some names of players who I thought were interesting or had hype but I think just aren’t quite talented enough or a good fit on OKC. But maybe Sam Presti will prove me wrong.
Interesting: Carlton “Bub” Carrington, Kyshawn George, Johnny Furphy
Guys I don’t like for OKC: Isaiah Collier, Ja’Kobe Walter, Rob Dillingham, Tyler Smith
What do I think/ OKC will do?
Last year I said it was on the table for OKC to move up the draft. This year, given that I believe the talent level in this draft is lower and fairly evenly distributed - I think if anything, OKC would trade down the draft to acquire more draft capital. However, I think it’s more than likely that OKC will stay pat at #12.
Who OKC will pick at #12? I’m honestly quite torn between Jared McCain and Tristan da Silva. But I think, gun to my head, I will make Jared McCain as my official pick for the Thunder in the 2024 draft cycle. He seems to have the right personality to fit in with the team and has an absolutely elite skill that will be useful to the Thunder. Da Silva is a close second for me who also fits a slightly more important need in wing depth but has less upside than McCain. I would be ecstatic to have either of these players on the Thunder.
Mock Draft
Atlanta Hawks - Zacharie Risacher
Washington Wizards - Alexander Sarr
Houston Rockets - Reed Shephard
San Antonio Spurs - Stephon Castle
Detroit Pistons - Dalton Knecht
Charlotte Hornets - Matas Buzelis
Portland Trailblazers - Ron Holland
San Antonio Spurs - Tidjane Salaun
Memphis Grizzlies - Donovan Clingan
Utah Jazz - Cody Williams
Chicago Bulls - Devin Carter
Oklahoma City Thunder - Jared McCain
Sacramento Kings - Tristan da Silva
Portland Trailblazers - Kyle Filipowski
Just missed, honorable Mentions: Zach Edey, Kel’el Ware, Daron Holmes III, Isaiah Collier, Ja’Kobe Walter, Rob Dillingham
Conclusion
Once again, I’ve probably gone on way longer than I originally planned lol. I’m grinding this out in the last 12 hours before the draft because I was incredibly lazy1 and struggling to find my writing mojo again - but it feels good to put something out again. I have some plans to write some stuff about OKC’s offseason moves (whenever those conclude) and some long term planning for OKC eventually this summer. So someone please hold me accountable!
I forgot to mention the 2024 NBA draft starts on June 26 at 5pm PT. Hopefully you are able to read this before that!
You can find me at most places on the internet as @ankitpancakes. Here are links to some of those places: Twitter, Threads, Bluesky, Reddit.
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