Potential Targets For OKC Thunder In 2024 NBA Draft

Following a 57-win season and a playoff series win, the Oklahoma City Thunder have much opportunity to improve this offseason. The Thunder is projected to have nearly $35 million in cap space and has an incredible amount of trade assets. Furthermore, Oklahoma City also has the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Despite being the top seed in the Western Conference for the 2023-24 campaign, the Thunder is still selecting in the lottery. This is because the Houston Rockets owed the Thunder their 2024 first-round selection from the trade swap of Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul.

Oklahoma City’s draft strategy will be interesting to monitor later this month. This is a team ready to compete for championship next season, so win-now rookies should be intriguing. Even then, this team is being built to have sustained success over the next decade or more, so the front office also can’t be short sighted — a prospect who needs time to develop could also be the best option depending on who it is.

Expect OKC to be active on draft night, whether that’s moving up, down, or even out of this draft. Especially in a class that’s more uncertain than most, Thunder GM Sam Presti will be looking to get creative in order to maximize this roster.

Although much will change in the next two weeks leading up to the 2024 NBA Draft, which prospects should the Thunder be considering?

Bigs

Donovan Clingan (UConn)

It would likely take Oklahoma City trading up to get in range of where Clingan is expected to go, but he would be well worth it. One of the most physically imposing bigs a team could ask for, the 7-foot-2 prospect out of UConn is a phenomenal shot blocker with good touch on the other end of the floor.

Kel’el Ware (Indiana)

Although he was expected to be a one-and-done at Oregon as a freshman, Ware went back to school and transferred to Indiana for his sophomore campaign and really blossomed. He has a modern skillset and improving perimeter jumper, but needs to land in the right system maximize his upside. As the type of player who can impact winning as a rookie but also has untapped potential for the future, Ware could play behind Chet Holmgren in the center rotation, or even alongside him at times.

Kyle Filipowski (Duke)

A 7-footer with a sturdy frame and reliable 3-point shot, Filipowski is the type of player who could help nearly any team in the NBA. He proved to be a dynamic scorer and quality rebounder in two seasons at Duke and looks to be a fringe lottery prospect at this point. The Thunder would have to buy his defensive ability if this were to be the pick, but there’s no question that Filipowski fits OKC’s style of play.

Zach Edey (Purdue)

Perhaps the most polarizing draft prospects in recent history, Edey has absolutely dominated college basketball the past few seasons. At 7-foot-4, he has the chance to continue making an impact on winning at the next level, but will need to be leveraged the right way. Given the needs of Oklahoma City, there should be real reason for optimism that the Thunder can figure out how to get the most out of Edey if he were the pick.

DaRon Holmes II (Dayton)

There’s no question that Holmes II could have been drafted last summer, but he opted to return to Dayton for one more season. This paid off tremendously for him, as he developed a respectable 3-point shot and is now considered one of the best bigs in this draft class. Holmes II is one of the more underrated players in this class, so don’t be shocked if the Thunder take him earlier in the draft than many think he will go.

Wings

Ron Holland (G League)

Although he was considered a candidate to go No. 1 overall in this class several month ago when the season started, he has slipped on boards around the league. He struggled to shoot from the perimeter and turned the ball over quite a bit in the G League, but has perhaps the highest upside as a point-of-attack defender in this class. Oklahoma City has one of the best shooting coaches in the world in Chip Engelland, landing with the Thunder could be a best case scenario for Holland, who has what it takes to be a starter on a championship team in a few years.

Dalton Knecht (Tennessee)

As Knecht has risen through the collegiate ranks, he’s proven he can score at any level. At 6-foot-6 with three-level scoring capabilities, he should be the type of rookie who earns real minutes in year one and can help a team win immediately. In terms of offensive role, much of what the Thunder thought Gordon Hayward could be last season is what Knecht could be as a rookie.

Cody Williams (Colorado)

The younger brother of Thunder rising star Jalen Williams, the Colorado product is still developing but has tremendous upside. He has a slight build and is somewhat raw as a prospect, but has the tools and natural instincts to become one of the best players in this class. Even if he isn’t ready to play major minutes on a contender like Oklahoma City, Williams would be a safe developmental prospect who already has relationships on the roster and throughout the organization.

Tidjane Salaun (International)

Over the past few months, Salaun has skyrocketed up draft boards due to his play improving as his season went on. The French has positional size at nearly 6-foot-10 with a strong frame, which could allow him to play upwards of three positions at the NBA level. Especially for a team like the Thunder that likes to play a versatile style of basketball, having a player like Salaun would be very interfering, as he could play anything from a jumbo wing to a small-ball center for OKC.

Kyshawn George (Miami)

George grew up playing guard, but went through a significant growth spurt and now stands at 6-foot-8. He’ll likely be more of a wing at the next level, but still possesses those guard skills and knocked down better than 40% of his triples in his lone college season. As an off-ball shooter with positional size, George has a clear pathway to minutes early in his career, but also has untapped potential which makes him an interfacing prospect for a team like the Thunder who has a long contention runway.

Guards

Devin Carter (Providence)

Not only is Carter a menace on the defensive end, but he also has improved as an offensive player of late. In his most recent college season, he averaged better than 20 points per game, while pulling down 8.7 boards as well which is impressive given he’s only 6-foot-3. It’s unclear whether he will still be on the board when the Thunder drafts at No. 12 overall, but pairing him with Cason Wallace off the bench would make for one of the most defensively disruptive young backcourts in the league.

Stephon Castle (UConn)

A jumbo guard with two-way impact, Oklahoma City would have to trade up to land Castle. Even then, if he’s OKC’s guy, he would be well worth it. After winning a National Championship as a freshman, it became even more clear that he has arguably the biggest star upside in this class if his jump shot comes around. There’s certainly flaws to his game as it stands today, but Castle is oozing with potential.

Nikola Topic (International)

Although he’s dealing with a knee injury, Topic is the best pure passing prospect in this class and should still go in the top 10. However, if he does slip or Oklahoma City thinks there is value in moving up to select him and slowly working him back from injury as a developmental prospect, there may not be a better option to swing on than Topic. He is a big point guard at 6-foot-7 and he projects to be at least a respectable jump shooter in the NBA.

With roughly two weeks until the 2024 NBA Draft, anything could happen. There’s many prospects who would be great selections for the Thunder at No. 12, but there’s also the opportunity to trade up, back or even out of this event.