Issue #8 - Draft Day
it's basically christmas in june
So I’ll jump right into it because as you’ll soon realize - this is a long one! Here’s my Oklahoma City centric big board which is, in my opinion, roughly the list of Best Players Available.
If you are strapped for time, I would recommend jumping around to find your favorite prospect(s) or skimming my Big Board till you find something interesting! I have a Mock Draft and some predictions for actual outcomes for Draft Day towards the end as well.
I’ll break up the list into tiers indicating that the players are basically of the same level of talent in my eyes and can see the order within a tier going a different direction.
OKC picks at #12 and #501 this year. I’m unfortunately not a real scout and actually am just some dude on the internet, so my big board will conveniently end roughly after the range of players that will be available at pick #12 and not do any research planning for #50.
Big Board
I have added some player comparisons to past/current NBA players for each of my scouted prospects. These are not projections. They are mostly there to give you a vibe for what these players sort of look and feel like. Also I think it’s fun to do.
Tier 1 - Generational Prospects
We aren’t getting either of these guys.
I’m not going to bother doing a writeup for either of these players because it’s impossible for OKC to trade up to get one of these players. Trust me when I say that they are insanely good. Truly generational talents who would go #1 in many drafts.
Victor Wembanyama
Scoot Henderson
Tier 2 - He Could be #1 If He Could _____
We probably aren’t getting this guy either unless something crazy happens lol.
Amen Thompson
Player comp: bigger Ja Morant with an uncertain jumpshot. High motor Ben Simmons maybe? Josh Giddey if he was a hyper-athlete?
Measurements: 6’7, 207 lbs. 7’0 wingspan, 44” vertical
Stats: 16 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 1 block. 57% fg, 25% 3pt, 66% ft.
Amen Thompson is an elite, top 1% athlete in this draft. He is such a freak athlete with his speed, acceleration and explosiveness that he will be one of the best athletes in the league the moment he steps on the court. With his athleticism, Amen gets to the paint at will and is an acrobatic finisher with great touch. On top of that, Amen is a quick decision maker with incredible court vision. By putting pressure on the rim, Amen creates and sees passing lanes and is able to put the ball on the money to create wide open shot opportunities for his teammates. The combination of these two strengths is especially highlighted in transition where he can blow by defenders and get up the court in seconds or hit incredibly accurate half court passes. As a defender, Amen’s twitchiness and general effort should translate to the NBA level. He has all the tools to be great, and being in an NBA system should help foster his abilities.
Honestly, there isn’t much to dislike about Amen’s game. But the two things that do, stick out like unbelievably sore thumbs. Amen is a very bad shooter largely because of his inconsistent shot mechanics. Any team that drafts him will have to do some work to re-work the jumper. The second thing that stands out is the lower level of competition at OTE which probably led to some inflated numbers. That being said, when watching the film, the strengths of Amen are strengths regardless of the competition so I personally am not so concerned about OTE. The shooting will be a swing skill that will turn him from starter-caliber to perennial all star level player.
Tier 3 - Definitely Worth Trading Up For
We could get in range if we made a semi-generous offer to move up more than a few spots.
Ausar Thompson
Player Comp: Golden State Andrew Wiggins
Measurements: 6’7, 207 lbs. 7’0 wingspan, 44” vertical
Stats: 17 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 1 block. 47% fg, 30% 3pt, 70% ft.
Many of the strengths of Amen Thompson are mirrored in his twin brother: Ausar. Some key differences are that he is slightly less twitchy, but still an absolutely freakish athlete. Their abilities in transition and defense are very similar. Having played with his brother most of his life, Amen ended up being the on-ball brother while Ausar played off-ball. As a result, he is a pretty successful secondary playmaker and has a great knack for cutting at the rim. Despite the lack of on-ball reps, Ausar also processes the game incredibly quickly and is able to make split second decisions to create plays very well.
Some weaknesses to Ausar include not being super great when going and finishing with his left hand. He also didn’t show a ton of creation ability in the half court, though I think some of this could be attributed to playing with brother so much. And like his brother, Ausar has struggled with shooting but not nearly as bad as Amen. His mechanics are more consistent and fluid and I am more bullish that Ausar could be a great shooter than Amen.
Jarace Walker
Player Comp: Bam Adebayo-ish
Measurements: 6’8, 240 lbs. 7’2 wingspan, 38” vertical
Stats: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steals, 1 block. 47% fg, 35% 3pt, 66% ft.
Like many of the top prospects on my big board, Jarace Walker is a freak of nature athlete. His physical tools become most apparent on the defensive side of the ball. As an off-ball defender, his great instincts and length allows him to force turnovers and make plays on defense by reading the opponents. When he’s the on ball defender, he moves pretty well for his size, and his length and strength allows him to contest shots vs anyone. Having played as a power forward and small ball center in college, he showed off a decent 3 point shot and handle which was especially impressive for his size. His most enticing trait on offense was his playmaking ability where he showed off really creative passing in short roll situations while also being able to throw pretty accurate cross court passes. But wait, there’s more! Walker even showed some flashes of being a good self creator, though he needs to put in some work to become more consistent for him to be a primary option. The combo of all of these things is very unique for his position and should make him a very useful player on any team.
Some things Jarace can improve on is drawing and finishing shots through contact. He tends to settle for floaters instead of taking an extra dribble and using his strength to finish strong at the rim. Though he is generally a very good defender, sometimes he has poor footwork on the perimeter which allows quicker guards to get by him. It might seem that Walker doesn’t have many flaws, the reason he isn’t higher (though I rate him very high already!) is that he doesn’t project to be a clear cut #1 guy but instead a very high level role player who can play a variety of roles to enable his team.
Tier 3.5 - Really, Really, Really Good Players
We might have to trade up a few spots to get one of them.
Cason Wallace
Player Comp: Somewhere on the spectrum of Lu Dort, Marcus Smart and Jrue Holiday
Measurements: 6’4, 195 lbs. 6’8 wingspan
Stats: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals. 45% fg, 35% 3pt, 76% ft.
Cason Wallace is an absolute dog on defense. He is a tremendous playmaker on the defensive side of the ball, which is a very rare quality to be found in a draft prospect. His fantastic instincts and basketball IQ let him be in the exact spot that he needs to be during a play even when there are multiple actions on a play to keep track of. Cason has excellent hands that he uses to create deflections and steals both as a defender in passing lanes and as a primary defender. His on ball defense is nearly just as good as his off ball defense. He is very good at navigating screens and sticking with the ball handler which allows him to cut off driving lanes and force the ball handler to his help. He is also fairly strong for his size with great balance which allows him to absorb contact from bigger players fairly well. Offensively, Wallace is a fairly well rounded and solid player. He is a solid passer who can make simple reads in a half-court set and is a willing passer to push the pace when playing in transition. When it comes to scoring: he is a decent shooter with clean mechanics from 3, a great finisher when he is at the rim (52/81 total, 36/60 in the half-court) and is developing a solid in-between game with a stepback jumper and floater. The collection of the 3 of these types of scoring is really promising, and I am very interested to see how they continue to develop in the NBA.
The most noteworthy issue with Cason is that he lacks top-tier self-creation ability. This is due to his lack of a very deep bag to break defenders down off the dribble as well as not being a Russell Westbrook type athlete who can blow by defenders at will. That being said, even with these flaws - I think Wallace projects really well to be a secondary creator on offense and a big playmaker on defense. I’d like to think part of this could be explained by the poor spacing that Kentucky had this season, and think that things might be easier for Cason in the NBA.
His pedigree of being a Kentucky guard is also noteworthy because Kentucky guards consistently don’t show off all of what they can while in college because Coach Calipari has them play a particular role and scheme (guys like Fox, Murray, Maxey, Herro and OKC’s very own SGA fall into this bucket).
Taylor Hendricks
Player Comp: Smaller Myles Turner, Serge Ibaka
Measurements: 6’9, 203 lbs. 7’0 wingspan, 36” vertical
Stats: 16 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 steals, 2 blocks. 48% fg, 38% 3pt, 78% ft.
Taylor Hendricks is an exceptional athlete with multiple NBA ready skills. He is a very good 3 point shooter, especially for his size who is great at hitting shots on both spot up and catch and shoot opportunities. He is a really fluid athlete with great footwork which shows when he is moving in transition and cutting to the basket. His athleticism also makes him a great vertical threat when it comes to catching lobs. On offense, Hendricks does everything you could want from a modern NBA big man. Defensively this trend continues where Hendricks incredible athleticism makes him a monster shotblocker, especially as a help defender. He’s also a very switchable defender on the perimeter because of his fluidity and footwork which is honestly quite special at his size.
The biggest hole in Hendricks’ game is his lack of creation ability, both for himself and others on his team. This isn’t to say that he can’t function as part of a scheme and make very basic reads, but he lacks great dribbling ability which limits his creative abilities quite a bit. So in turn, Hendricks will be fairly reliant on other people creating opportunities to score for him. Hendricks has also struggled a bit finishing at the rim when he isn’t able to explode as much as he would like. Being able to expand his package of moves around the rim when in a cramped space surrounded by defenders would pay dividends in the NBA.
Tier 4 - Hope they Fall to Us
These guys I probably wouldn’t trade up for. And with a little luck, one of them will fall to #12 so we won’t have to.
Cam Whitmore
Player Comp: somewhere between smaller Aaron Gordon and Jaylen Brown-ish
Measurements: 6’7, 230 lbs. 6’8.5 wingspan. 44” vertical
Stats: 13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1.5 steals. 48% fg, 34% 3pt, 70% ft.
Cam Whitmore is not only one of the youngest prospects in the draft, but arguably the most athletic. Everything about him when it comes to getting around the court is absolutely effortless to him. His elite first step allows him to get to the rim with ease where he can finish with either hand. And if he sees a defender, it’s not out of the question that Cam will simply jump over them to score. He has great instincts when it comes to knowing where to be on the floor which makes him a very good cutter. If a defender loses track of him for a second, he will be at the rim dunking the ball. In a similar vein, his instincts and timing combined with his athleticism make him a very good offensive rebounder as well. Part of what makes Whitmore so enticing as a wing prospect is his 3 point shooting ability. He made 105 threes over 20 games at ~34% efficiency. The efficiency is pretty meh honestly, but he shot at pretty high volume with pretty clean mechanics while also creating a decent amount of those shots for himself. So all in all, I am very high on his 3 point shooting. As a defender, Whitmore uses his athletic gifts to be an awesome on ball defender. Staying in front of a defender regardless of size is very easy for him due to his incredible mobility and strength. He’s also very good at cutting off passing lanes.
I think all of Whitmore’s flaws on offense can boil down to a lack of patience. He is a confident shooter but will tend to shoot at the first opportunity of space. This is both good and bad as he might miss a better opportunity that would have appeared if he was more patient. To get to the next level for him, understanding tempo and pace of the game will be crucial. Just because Whitmore can explode to the rim at will doesn’t mean he should explode to the rim every time. Attacking and then re-probing the defense can be more effective in certain scenarios and it will be important for him to understand how and when. Moving fast is easy for him, but being able to survey the floor and use a change of pace will add a nearly unstoppable aspect to his offense. One of the biggest criticisms that Whitmore faces is his lack of passing and playmaking. But in my eyes, I think this ties into his lack of patience. Like I mentioned before, Whitmore will go all in on the first opportunity he sees which generally does not lend itself to looking for scoring opportunities for teammates. This is all to say: I don’t think his lack of passing and playmaking is due to an inability to pass but rather an immaturity in his game. Defensively, my biggest issue with him is he can be caught ball watching and being disengaged when he’s not directly involved with the play. A team with a coach who can help Cam learn these things on offense and defense will be able to get the most out of him.
Brandon Miller
Player Comp: Poor Man’s Khris Middleton? Klay Thompson-lite?
Measurements: 6’9, 200 lbs. 7’0 wingspan
Stats: 19 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steals, 1 block. 43% fg, 38% 3pt, 86% ft.
Brandon Miller is potentially the best shooter in this class. His ability to make tough 3s, even with a hand in his face while moving is simply elite. This skill alone is enough to make him one of the top prospects in the draft and when paired with his big frame, makes it very difficult to stop him from getting his shot off. Along with this, he’s a pretty good decision maker, especially in the pick and roll. This makes him a tough cover when he is both initiating the pick and roll and acting as the screener. Miller’s decision making is also highlighted in transition opportunities. Defensively, Miller is a solid on-ball defender. Though I wouldn’t constitute him as a lockdown guy, he fights over screens in a pick and roll situation pretty well and follows the ball handler effectively.
Part of the initial appeal is a big wing who can shoot and make crazy 3s, and I think as far as that goes - Brandon Miller is awesome. However, the rest of his offensive game leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion. He isn’t a very explosive athlete and has just an okay handle on the ball which means he isn’t really able to convert advantages generated on the perimeter into consistent pressure at the rim. I’m not really sure I can see Brandon Miller as #1 (or even #2) option who is a 3 level scorer and creates for himself because he has a fairly limited ability to get to the paint. Defensively, I mentioned is pretty good on the ball like I mentioned, but I would have liked to see him use his great physical tools to clog up passing lanes and create transition opportunities more.
Gradey Dick
Player Comp: Cam Johnson
Measurements: 6’8, 205 lbs. 6’9 wingspan, 34” vertical
Stats: 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steals. 44% fg, 40% 3pt, 84% ft.
The only reason why I said Brandon Miller is potentially the best shooter in this class is because Gradey Dick is in this draft. This guy is an elite 3 point shooter who can shoot in any which way: catch and shoot, in transition, spot up and in movement - he can do it all. He has a high release point and made 40% of his threes on 6 attempts per game. When people close out on him hard, he can pump fake and reposition with ease and is willing to go inside the 3 point line to get easier jump shots as needed. Everything about his shooting ability will be 100% useful in the NBA. Dick is a great off ball scorer by utilizing the space he creates to move to the rim in timely moments to get easy dunks at the rim. On top of that, he has a great feel for the game and is a willing passer. He’ll make good reads in a variety of situations and keep the ball moving which is a great skill for someone who may be thought of as just a shooter. Defensively, Gradey is solid due to his size, effort and anticipation. He is definitely not a sieve and much better than the white guy shooter stereotype he has been given. You can count on him to play within a scheme on both offense and defense which helps get the most out of his strengths and covers some of his weaknesses.
This leads me to some things that Gradey could do to improve his game. His first hole in his game is his loose handle which really limits his ability to be a self creator. Being able to create his own advantages off the dribble with his shooting ability would raise his ceiling to the stratosphere. He also isn’t the best (but certainly not bad) athlete which mostly rears its head in a poor first step and lack of side to side agility. Offensively, this isn’t a huge deal because of his elite shooting skill but defensively Gradey will have a harder time guarding smaller and faster plays. That being said, he does make up for some of this deficiency with his great anticipation and he does a pretty good job staying in front of defenders in general.
Anthony Black
Player Comp: bigger Lakers Lonzo Ball, Smaller Ben Simmons-ish
Measurements: 6’7, 200 lbs. 6’7 wingspan. 39” vertical
Stats: 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals. 45% fg, 30% 3pt, 70% ft.
Anthony Black is another one of a growing trend in the NBA: jumbo sized playmakers. He is an unselfish and natural passer who is able to find some fairly creative angles with his large frame. His athleticism lets him drive to the rim pretty effectively and through that, he is able to draw a lot of fouls which few freshmen are able to do. Building on top of his passing ability, he has a generally high feel for the game which makes him a very good cutter. His instincts and athleticism let him take advantage of a defender’s hesitation and lead to a number of dunks. On the other side of the ball, Black is a very talented and versatile defender. He is able to guard multiple positions and can stay in front of most ball handlers. As a result he is a pretty effective point of attack defender. When off the ball, his instincts to attack passing lanes leads to a lot of deflections and steals which in turn lead to transition opportunities.
There’s a lot to like about Black’s offensive game when it comes to being around the rim. Questions start to arise when he is asked to do anything beyond a few feet out. His shooting motion is pretty slow and has a pretty gnarly hitch in his wind up. It’s gonna be a big task in fixing that and making that serviceable for the NBA. His midrange game is non-existent because of this but Black also didn’t really have a floater game that he could utilize either. Even though he was pretty decent at getting to the rim in college, he could really only get there by straight line driving to the rim. If he gets cut off, Black didn’t show off the ability to use a dribble move to get around the defender, and what is more concerning is Black would make some risky and bad passes when he got stuck in the paint and picked up his dribble. It seems that he can make good decisions when playing downhill, but as soon as you slow that momentum down he gets a little frazzled.
Tier 5 - Next Best Thing
These are the next best guys who sorta fit the Thunder vision.
Kobe Bufkin
Player Comp: sorta like Immanuel Quickley
Measurements: 6’5, 185 lbs. 6’8 wingspan. 38” vertical
Stats: 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steals. 48% fg, 36% 3pt, 85% ft.
Kobe Bufkin is a dynamic three-level scorer. He is very comfortable scoring with either hand and shows that off with some creative attempts at scoring. His midrange game is a really nice piece of his game that not too many prospects have which makes him a bit troublesome to guard since you can’t concede driving lanes and have to respect his three point shot.
His small frame and lack of strength makes him hesitate in taking contact on offense and does make it hard for him to be a physical defender on defense. That being said, he does understand positioning on both sides of the ball and plays with a lot of effort. Another issue I see in Bufkin’s game is his lack of being a notable playmaker. For someone as good at scoring as he is, he hasn’t really shown the passing ability to get shots for his teammates when the defense is focused on him.
Jordan Hawkins
Player Comp: Isaiah Joe, Seth Curry
Measurements: 6’5, 185 lbs. 6’7 wingspan.
Stats: 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists. 31% fg, 39% 3pt, 89% ft.
Jordan Hawkins best skill is the highly coveted ability to make 3 point shots. What separates Hawkins from the majority of other prospects is his ability to hit 3 point shots in literally any way possible. Curls, fades, pick and pop, on the move - you name it he can do it, and he can do it well. His ability to relocate and find space is a little Curry-esque in some ways, but makes him a really tough cover. Defensively, his speed helps keep him as a serviceable defender and he plays with a lot of effort on that side of the ball.
The downside to Hawkins is the rest of his game is not particularly developed. He doesn’t have a great handle on the ball and isn’t particularly strong or crafty finishing at the rim. As a result, he is pretty one-dimensional (albeit extremely good in this facet) as an offensive player. That being said, if you were only going to be good at one thing, 3 point shooting is a great thing to be good at should make him an excellent role player.
Dariq Whitehead
Player Comp: Quentin Grimes but maybe pre-Boston Ray Allen-ish if his explosiveness returns
Measurements: 6’7, 200 lbs. 6’10 wingspan.
Stats: 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assists, 2 steals. 42% fg, 43% 3pt, 79% ft.
Dariq Whitehead was one of the top prospects going into the 2022-2023 NCAA season but unfortunately suffered from a couple leg injuries that hurt his season. He is an excellent shotmaker who can create a bit of space with some simple moves and counters. When he is off the ball, he is really good on catch and shoot attempts and is also able to quickly decide to drive to the rim if he wants. Unfortunately he wasn’t able to show off the explosiveness that he had in high school while at Duke and as a result struggled to finish at the rim due to the lack of lift he had when jumping. That being said, he is a pretty good passer, even when dribbling, and can utilize his size to find creative passing angles. Defensively, he plays with a good amount of effort and has the tools to be a solid defender in the NBA.
It’s quite unfortunate that Whitehead suffered from the leg injuries as I think he left a lot on the table at Duke that we had seen from him in high school. If his explosiveness never returns, I think Whitehead can be a solid defensive 3 point shooter in the NBA. However, if he is able to regain his explosiveness, he will be one of the steals of the draft.
Tier 6 - The Projects
These are guys whose names have been floated around OKC and will likely be available to be picked by them but will need a pretty big time investment for them to become good players.
Bilal Coulibaly
Player Comp: more polished Jonathan Kuminga, baby baby Giannis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Measurements: 6’6, 200 lbs. 7’2 wingspan.
Stats: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assists, 2 steals, 1 block. 53% fg, 35% 3pt, 73% ft.
Bilal Coulibaly may have gotten recognized initially for being Victor Wembanyama’s teammate, but he has certainly made a strong case to be a potential lottery talent on his own merits. The appealing parts of his game stem from his ability to utilize his massive frame and freakish athleticism. He is a monster on defense who can use his length to contest shots and pester ball handlers. On the offensive side, he plays with a ton of physicality and is able to get to the rim with ease if you’re able to let him get a bit of momentum. A somewhat unique part to his game is his ability to immediately take off to drive to the rim upon catching the ball. Even though he is moving at top speeds and taking contact, he doesn’t let that affect his ability to finish shots at the rim.
The things Bilal needs to improve are all related to his ability to score the basket from outside the rim. His shooting mechanics are not great and a little inconsistent and as a result he struggles to shoot the ball on all kinds of opportunities - wide open or otherwise. His handle is also a bit loose, and he isn’t great at breaking a defender down to create his own advantages either. A lot of Bilal’s game stems around him using his athleticism and being faster/stronger than his opponents but in order for him to get to the next level he’ll have to add crucial pieces of finesse as well.
Leonard Miller
Player Comp: more mobile Orlando Bol Bol w/less rim protection tendencies
Measurements: 6’11, 210 lbs. 7’2 wingspan. 39” vertical
Stats: 17 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists,1 steal, 1 block. 54% fg, 30% 3pt, 79% ft.
Leonard Miller is a supersized forward from the G-League with an interesting ability to handle the ball for a player of his size. His most elite skill is his scoring in the paint where he scored on 77% of his attempts at the rim. He plays with a very high motor and has a great understanding of how to make winning basketball plays.
This is in contrast to the rest of his game which requires some work to continue to develop. Despite his size, Miller is not a natural rim protector and his shooting ability is inconsistent at best. A lot of this can be attributed to the fact that he is still incredibly young and underdeveloped due to playing lower levels of competition prior to the G-League. You could see some progress in his game during the season, but any team that drafts him should be committed to developing him for a few more years.
Rayan Rupert
Player Comp: Andre Roberson
Measurements: 6’7, 195 lbs. 7’3 wingspan.
Stats: 7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 steal. 37% fg, 31% 3pt, 74% ft.
Rayan Rupert is probably the least developed player on my big board for OKC. He has the physical tools to be an absolutely monstrous wing and he shows that off consistently on the defensive side of the ball. He is an excellent and switchable defender who is incredibly mobile. He is a terror as an on ball defender and doesn’t get beat often due to his speed.
The lack of development in his game becomes incredibly apparent on the offensive side of the ball. He is a pretty poor shooter though his shooting form has been improving over time. When it comes to dribbling and passing, he certainly tries to do the right thing, and due to his physical tools - sometimes it works out. But I think the execution on finishing the play, whether pass or shot at the rim, needs to improve drastically because getting an A for effort will only get you so far in the NBA.
Honorable Mentions
These are names that I think could find themselves in the lottery, but I don’t expect to be on OKC’s radar. I think it’s important to call this out in preparation for the draft as you may see them on other Mock Drafts.
Nick Smith Jr.
Derek Lively
Keyonte George
Brice Sensabaugh
Jalen Hood-Schifino
Trade ups?
Realistically, the most likely targets to be able to trade with are:
Indiana at 7
Wizards at 8
Utah at 9
Mavericks at 10
OKC would likely be willing to offer some of these assets as compensation:
Tre Mann, JRE, Lindy, Dario via sign & trade, rights to Vasilije Micić
Draft Picks
20242
OKC
LAC
UTA (top 10 protected -> top 10 protected 2025 -> top 10 protected 2026)
HOU (top 4 protected)
2025
OKC
MIA (top 14 protected -> unprotected 2026)
PHI (top 6 protected -> top 4 protected 2026, unprotected 2027)
Cap space to absorb unwanted salary
What do I think will realistically happen?
Mock Draft
Here’s a lottery mock draft assuming there are no trades. I’ll be sharing updated versions of this on Twitter as I learn more!
San Antonio - Victor Wembanyama
Charlotte Hornets - Scoot Henderson
Portland Trailblazers - Brandon Miller
Houston Rockets - Amen Thompson
Detroit Pistons - Cam Whitmore
Orlando Magic - Ausar Thompson
Indiana Pacers - Jarace Walker
Washington Wizards - Cason Wallace
Utah Jazz - Anthony Black
Dallas Mavericks - Taylor Hendricks
Orlando Magic - Gradey Dick
Oklahoma City Thunder - Kobe Bufkin
Toronto Raptors - Bilal Coulibaly
New Orleans Pelicans - Jordan Hawkins
Now, what do I think will actually happen? I think OKC will end up trading up in this draft using some one or two of our extra 2024 picks to acquire one of: Indiana #7, Washington #8, Utah #9 or Dallas #10. I think OKC will likely walk away from draft night with one of: Anthony Black, Gradey Dick, Taylor Hendricks or Ausar Thompson. I think there is a very solid top-11 players (my Tier 4 and up prospects) in this draft, so if we are unable to trade up in this draft, I think we will end up with one of my Tier 5 prospects, with Kobe Bufkin being the likely choice like I had above.
Conclusion
This is dummy long already, so I’ll stop here. As OKC has started to turn the corner to enter playoff contention, this is likely one of the last chances they will have to use their own pick to acquire lottery-level talent. The draft is on June 22, 2023. Tune in to see what the Thunder do!
If you want to see what else I have to say (including more mock drafts) - follow me on Twitter: @ankitpancakes!
Sources
Shoutout to these lovely people for blessing me with their knowledge. Highly recommend checking out their content! In no particular order:
And probably some others who I have forgotten to list!
I'm really hoping we can land Walker or Hendricks!