17), so Presti may feel more pressure to improve and balance out the offense. The Thunder are 37-22-1 against the spread this season. Kessler doesnt help the Bucks a ton right now with Brook Lopez on the team and both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis able to play center. His offensive skill package leaves a lot to be desired right now, which leads to him dropping from a previous lottery projection. This year, Thunder games have hit the over 32 times. While the situation can still change, it seems a courtesy call at this point that the Thunder will add Holmgren to the young core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey on Thursday. A core of Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey and Banchero means Presti will still want to fill gaps with shooters and defenders. 34: Jaden Hardy, G League Ignite, NBADraft.net (6/21), No. It honestly wouldnt surprise me if he was a top-20 pick. Hes also not particularly close to being ready on offense, and OKC can afford to be patient. Everyone will cite the fact that scouts voiced similar concerns about Kevin Durant when he was coming out of college, and indeed the NBA has become much more about skill than physicality. The offense would continue to run through Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green and Christian Wood. If not here, Dieng should find a landing spot in the first round somewhere. The Oklahoma City Thunder will select 2nd and 12th overall in the 2022 NBA draft following Tuesdays lottery results. Were just not seeing it. If you watched ESPNs draft lottery broadcast, you will know that Smith is generating real hype, and many scouts view him as the top guy. Sharpe is the mystery guy in this class, but there is enough buzz where a No. 1 pick or, at least one within the first five, should they fall out of such an area, theyll still likely be able to bring on a high-quality prospect. The Oklahoma City Thunder will have three picks in the first 34: He can create. Jonathan Givony Defensively, there are some concerns, but there is enough to work with in terms of basketball IQ and frame to get by. This is Part 5 of a five-part series of mock drafts with a different team winning the lottery each edition, courtesy ofTankathon. Hes raw offensively at 19 years old, but Johnson can still make an impactsimilar to the way Patrick Williams did this season in Chicagowith his tools, athleticism and developing skill in an off-ball role. The Nuggets need defensive help in a significant way and Beauchamp can provide it. The Spurs have not been known to worry about position or needs in the draft, and they'd ignore them again in this situation. 8:33 pm ET, 76ers' Tucker admits he didn't want to leave the Heat, Suns' Durant Era feels like the start of a special run, Durant begins Suns era with masterful two-way sequence, Warriors have climbed standings without Steph Curry, Knicks vs. Nets odds, picks, prediction, bets, Celtics vs. Cavaliers odds, picks, prediction, bets, NBA Draft: OKC selects Chet Holmgren with No. https://okcthunderwire.usatoday.com/lists/2022-nba-mock-drafts-oklahoma-city-thunder-june-3-0-draft-projections/, Projections for 2nd overall in 2022 first round, Projections for 12th overall in 2022 first round, Projections for 34th overall in 2022 second round, Cast your vote on who the Thunder will select, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Especially with Thunder GM Sam Presti making decisions, Oklahoma City could find real building blocks with its second and third first-round picks. The Thunder can fall no lower than eighth on lottery night, which is Tuesday, May 17, in Chicago. FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - FEBRUARY 18: Nick Smith Jr. #3 talks with Anthony Black 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, which puts OKC in prime position to land one of the big three prospects: Auburns Jabari Smith, Gonzagas Chet Holmgren or Dukes Paolo Banchero.. Read any mock draft or listen to any draft expert, and its a near 100% certainty one of those three will be wearing a Thunder blue cap come the Williams would give OKC an imposing presence around the rim with his 7'7" wingspan for finishing and shot-blocking. Houston has been firing bets on upside dating back to the 2021 draft, and this is another example. NBA Mock Draft 2022: The Orlando Magic Are On The Clock, GloRilla, Ice Spice, And The Carefree Black Girl Backlash, Karol G Tells Us About Her Most Personal Album Yet, Maana Ser Bonito, And Collaborating With Shakira, The Rundown: Between Cocaine Bears And Maple Syrup Heists, Margo Martindale Is Absolutely Thriving In 2023. (Credit toThe Rockets WiresBen DeBose for accumulating the mock drafts together. 34: Patrick Baldwin Jr., Milwaukee, Sign up for the OKC Thunder Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. June 27, 2022 1:28 pm ET In the days leading to the NBA draft, it was widely speculated Chet Holmgren wanted to land with the Oklahoma City Thunder over the Orlando Magic. Obviously that doesnt ensure anything for Baldwin Jr., but the former top-five prospect still has the length and shooting acumen to bring substantial upside. Seems like a Warriors guy. 12: Jeremy Sochan, Baylor, Kevin OConnor, The Ringer (6/17), No. This 7-foot rim-protector who can also bounce it like a guard and reliably make 3-pointers. The bottom-three teams have a 14% chance at the No. In games it was an underdog in by 2.5 points or more so far this season, Oklahoma City has gone 27-11-1 against the spread. The Hornets need a long-term center in the worst way. 2, No. The Thunder will be selecting second overall for the second time in franchise history, and considering the first time resulted in Kevin Durant in 2007, Id say general manager Sam Presti has a good track record with top picks. Because of this, through 72 games, Oklahoma City managed to finish with the fourth-worst record on the year at 22-50. In this case, Smith seems like a strong fit next to Myles Turner, whose rim protection would make up for the 18-year-old's lack of shot-blocking. Still, Hardy is a high-upside shot creating talent and he was better as the G League season went along in 2021-22. Thunder draft picks 2022: Who did Oklahoma City pick? With the 2022 NBA Draft rapidly approaching, trades are starting to trickle in. 1 overall to the Orlando Magic. Griffin would come in and become an immediate bench presence behind Dort at the three. Hes not likely to help a title contender now, which makes this an interesting bet. Portland could be in the market to move this pick for present-day help as they attempt to build around Damian Lillard. Still, the 6'6" sophomore wing has emerged as a lottery prospect for his shot-making and budding pull-up scoring game. In terms of sophomore players who could participate in summer league, Chet Holmgrens availability is up in the air. OKC Thunder owns the No. Lets see what the final versions of mock drafts have the Thunder taking with the franchises three picks as the draft season is almost over. The 6-foot-10 former Auburn star has an ability to stretch the court from the four spot. 6-keys: media/spln/nba/reg/free/stories, at 1 pick. 5 projection doesnt seem insane. Right now, Holmgren seems to be the leader in the clubhouse. 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Whether its at one of the two guard spots or out on the wing, best player available should be the name of the game at 12. 2: Paolo Banchero, Duke, Krysten Peek, Yahoo! 2022 NBA Mock Draft: Auburn's Jabari Smith is new top pick by Magic, Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren slips to No. Sports (6/20), No. The 2022 NBA Draft is less than six weeks away and, as of Tuesday evening, the board is set. For a while, it looked as if this would be a three-horse race at the top of the draft. The Thunder also own swap rights with the LA Clippers, meaning they could their pick if its better than OKCs. For general manager Sam Presti and Nonetheless, let's take a look at the lottery (picks 1-13) within Wasserman's recent mock draft and who is projected to be taken near the Thunder's potential picks. The Thunder own the eighth-best lottery odds and have a realistic shot to climb as high as fifth in the lottery. The Thunder ruled Holmgren out for the entire 2022-23 regular season, but his status for 2023 Summer League is currently unknown. The 2022 Oklahoma City Thunder draft will include two lottery selections, another first-round pick and a selection in Round 2. Eventually, the goal will be for Griffin to build on the flashes of step-backs to become a more threatening one-on-one scorer. 8 pick. 2023 NBA Mock Draft 4.0: Arkansas backcourt, SEC prominent in lottery. He could play to his strengths as a play-finisher around the basket or behind the arc. 2 to the Thunder continues to be Gonzaga forward Chet Holmgren. 6 pick, a 16.7% chance at the No. Griffin. The Thunder is tied for eighth in the reverse standings with a 23.5% chance at a top-four pick, and a 5.3% chance of landing Victor Wembanyama with the No. pic.twitter.com/VQonlEE6i5, NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 28, 2023. 4 spot in the 2022 NBA Draft lottery. They trail the Orlando Magic by three games with 21 games left to go. The 2022 Oklahoma City Thunder draft will include two lottery selections, another first-round pick and a selection in Round 2. There is a good chance each is No. That's pretty high praise. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. The Indiana Pacers couldn't draw up a better plan than grabbing a top-three pick after trading Domantas Sabonis in a deal for Tyrese Haliburton. Hes also a plug-and-play role player as an off-ball shooter and a very intelligent cutter. Chatter will continue over the next five-plus weeks, and especially during the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, but there are at least four candidates Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero and Jaden Ivey for the top spots and the potential for real fireworks. Mathurin has long been a favorite in this space, and his offensive skill set is a lot of fun. The ideal next team-building step for the Oklahoma City Thunder would be to upgrade a frontcourt that features, Darius Bazley, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Isaiah Roby. Picturing Chet Holmgren shooting threes and blocking shots next to Zion Williamson could be too tempting for the New Orleans Pelicans to pass on. Smith and Holmgren both have legitimate cases here as well. He doesnt profile as a game-changing star, but Williams has impressive finishing equity and the ability to protect the rim on defense. Its either going to be Gonzagas Chet Holmgren or Smith going No. Where does Oklahoma City land in the draft order? With Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander established as the backcourt of the future, Thunder general manager Sam Presti will be looking to add at least one more piece to his young core on Thursday night. He isnt a perfect fit with Trae Young given size concerns, but Washington is long, skilled, able to run a pick-and-roll, and capable of playing off the ball. Jun 24, 2022 8:00 AM EDT The Oklahoma City Thunder owned the lottery on Thursday night, taking three players in the top 12 selections. Make no mistake, this is a massive swing in that Sharpe hasnt even touched a college court, but his combination of athleticism and scoring potential is tantalizing. James is expected to go No. So this would be a good year for them to win the lottery withPaolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith at the top of boards. 1 wing defender, but hell be good in a secondary defensive role. Projected Oklahoma City Thunder draft picks, Ideal Jabari Smith landing spots in 2022 NBA Draft, 1st round, 2nd pick: Jabari Smith, F, Auburn, 1st round, 12th pick: AJ Griffin, F, Duke, 1st round, 17th pick (from Rockets): Jalen Duren, C, Memphis, 2nd round, 34th pick: Kennedy Chandler, G, Tennessee. Jones averaged 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game in his sophomore season for His slender frame is where most of the doubt begins and ends. 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