Take a look at this highlight video of Jeremy Lamb in the D-League this past season. Impressive, right?

Lamb has got talent and this coming season, we should start to see him playing a lot more.

The Thunder are more than likely not going to bring Kevin Martin back which will mean Lamb should start seeing some of those minutes. I could see DeAndre Liggins maybe getting some of those minutes at the start but there’s no reason to believe Lamb shouldn’t emerge in the backup two-guard role next year.

We don’t know yet how committed the Thunder are to Lamb. He hardly played for OKC last season and the Thunder didn’t actually draft him, as he was acquired as part of the James Harden trade. So we’re not sure exactly how much the Thunder saw in him.

And now headed into the upcoming NBA Draft, the Thunder will have three draft picks with one of those coming in the lottery. Basically, the Thunder will have an opportunity to get a young player other than Lamb if they decide that’s what they want to do.

We should get a good feel for how the Thunder feel about Lamb this offseason and around the time of the draft, especially. If the Thunder are trying to trade Lamb at that time, then Lamb’s days in OKC may be numbered. If the Thunder draft a big man in the lottery and then go international late in the first round, Lamb should be considered the prospect of the future for this franchise.

A lot of pressure is on Lamb now that Martin has clearly been labeled as a rental as part of the Harden trade. Lamb and the No. 12 pick in this year’s draft are the real assets OKC received for Harden.

Here’s what Royce Young of Daily Thunder said on the deal: “Allow me to rehash: The James Harden trade, which is already being labeled as a disaster by many, wasn’t about Martin. Martin was merely a stopgap while Lamb seasoned (get it? you get it). The trade really was for Lamb and what’s now the No. 12 pick. The Thunder may choose to keep Martin, but it would take him giving OKC a significant discount. He’s 30 years old and not the best fit in the world.”

Is it possible that they will someday be able to semi-replace the Beard? Only time will tell.

Croatian forward Dario Saric has officially withdrawn from the 2013 NBA Draft.

Saric was one of the highest projected international prospects and was even described as a European Magic Johnson. It’s interesting that Saric would withdraw considering how weak this draft is thought to be and the strength of next year’s.

Saric was drawing interest from a lot of teams, including the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder have three picks in the upcoming draft and the thought is that they would go with an international flavor with one of them.

Saric was projected to be anywhere from a lottery pick to a late first round selection. With the 12th pick, the Thunder could have gone with Saric with the idea of stashing him overseas for a a year or two.

It is still pretty likely that the Thunder will draft an international player with one of their picks.

Rudy Gobert from France is one potential prospect they could go after but like Saric, he may be off the board in the lottery.

The Thunder may also go with Giannis Antetokounmpo or Dennis Schroeder.

If the Thunder do go with an international players, the likelihood that we will be seeing him in a Thunder uniform any time soon is pretty slim.

May 16, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Kelly Olynyk is interviewed during the NBA Draft combine at Harrison Street Athletics Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

People never know exactly what’s going to happen in the NBA Draft. Take last year for instance when it was supposed to be an uneventful night for the Oklahoma City Thunder, only to be anything but as Perry Jones kept getting passed and passed until he fell into the lap of the Thunder.

This coming draft, the Thunder will have three picks, including the 12th overall. There’s been a lot of talk about what the Thunder might do with this pick and who they might take.

The consensus is pretty much that the Thunder will go with a big man here as they plan for the future in replacing Kendrick Perkins.

Adam Fromal of Bleacher Report says that Kelly Olynyk of Gonzaga would be the best, realistic prospect for the Thunder at this pick.

Fromal believes Nerlens Noel, Alex Len and Steven Adams will be off the board by the 12th pick leaving the Thunder to decide between big men like Olynyk, Cody Zeller, Rudy Gobert, Mason Plumlee and Gorgui Dieng.

Olynyk had a great season at Gonzaga last year as one of the most efficient players in the entire nation. He averaged 17.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and shot 62.9 percent from the field.

That immediately makes him sound like an upgrade offensively over Perkins, which is no hard task.

We know though that to gain playing time under Scott Brooks, you need to be able to produce on the defensive end, an area where Olynyk will have to work on upon entering the league.

You can still make the argument that perhaps Zeller has more upside than Olynyk. Zeller tested through the roof during the draft combine, although that doesn’t always mean everything.

The Thunder could also potentially see the likes of C.J. McCollum or Shabazz Muhammad slip to them at No. 12 and elect to go the route of two-guard.

Odds are though that the Thunder will go with a big man here.

Feb. 10, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA: Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Thabo Sefolosha against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder will have three draft picks in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Their first one is the 12th overall pick and in what has been described as a pretty weak draft class, the idea of trading that pick may make sense.

Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman has proposed the idea of dealing with the Atlanta Hawks and sending them the No. 12 pick in exchange for the 17th and 18th overall picks.

The idea behind making this if you’re the Thunder is you double your chances in landing a solid player. There are never any guarantees in drafting someone in the middle of the first round.

Thinking this way to make this trade would almost be having less confidence in your ability to draft talent if you are Thunder GM Sam Presti. It’s hard to imagine him having that mindset, unless he just really has a few players he likes that he knows he can get at 17 and 18 and isn’t in love with anyone who will be available at 12.

I feel like Presti will eventually find someone that the Thunder can draft in the lottery that he really likes and believes can contribute right away. The Thunder and Presti have a really good track record in the draft and bringing in two or more rookies to this team doesn’t seem necessary as the Thunder roster is already pretty deep with quality talent.

I think there will be a better chance of Presti packaging the 12th pick and one or both of the Thunder’s other picks to move up a few spots and pick a player like Cody Zeller or Steven Adams.

The draft is less than two weeks away now, June 27.

Apr 10, 2013; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers player Cody Zeller at a press conference for the NBA draft. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowksi-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder will have three picks in the upcoming NBA Draft, which will take place June 27. The Thunder will have the 12th, 29th and 31st overall picks.

The Thunder have started working out players for the draft. Below is a list of who is known to be working out for the Thunder, via The Oklahoman:

Steve Adams, Pittsburgh
Vander Blue, Marquette
Robert Covington, Tennessee State
Gorgui Dieng, Louisville
Mouhammadou Jaiteh, France
Ray McCallum, Detroit
Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga
Mason Plumlee, Duke
Adonis Thomas, Memphis
Janis Timma, Latvia
Cody Zeller, Indiana

These are all players the Thunder should have a chance to draft with their current picks. There is a chance that Adams or Zeller could be off the board by No. 12 but everyone else should be available at one point or another for the Thunder.

Adams has been gaining the most steam as a potential draft pick for the Thunder along with Olynyk, Zeller and Dieng.

We see a few international players on this list as well. Many people think the Thunder will once again go the international route with one of their picks and since they don’t exactly need to add three rookies to their roster.

January 19, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers center Steven Adams (13) battles for position with Connecticut Huskies forward Tyler Olander (right) during the first half at the Petersen Events Center. The Pittsburgh Panthers won 69-61. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 NBA Draft is now less than three weeks away.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will have the 12th and 29th overall picks in the first round. Many believe the Thunder will go with a big man with their first pick with the idea that they will need to replace Kendrick Perkins down the road.

Steven Adams of Pittsburgh has been linked to the Thunder more than any other big recently and he even worked out with the Thunder last week.

After that first pick, many believe the Thunder will draft someone they can stash overseas for a few years. That’s why we’re seeing below names like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Alex Abrines.

ESPN’s Chad Ford
12. Steven Adams, Pittsburgh
29. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece

Draft Express
12. Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga
29. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece

NBADraft.net
12. Steven Adams, Pittsburgh
29. Nate Wolters, South Dakota State

NBA.com
12. Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga
29. Alex Abrines, Spain

CBS Sports
12. C.J. McCollum, Lehigh; Gorgui Dieng, Louisville
29. Dennis Schroeder, Germany; Ricky Ledo, Providence

The only change here from last week is NBADraft.net of course who is always changing their mock drafts, especially in the later parts of it. They’re also the only site that has the Thunder picking a U.S. player with their second pick of the first round. There’s really not a lot to take away from that.

Sam Forencich/NBAE/Getty Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder have three picks in the upcoming NBA Draft and many people believe they will go with an international player with one of their picks that they can stow overseas.

One of the players that has been linked to the Thunder is Dario Saric of Croatia, who has been described as an international Magic Johnson.

Saric is ranked No. 11 by ESPN.com and was projected as a lottery pick. The New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks had all shown significant interest in Saric.

via ESPN.com

There are reports now that Saric may decide to withdraw from the draft and stay in Croatia another year. Saric will have until June 17 to decide.

Saric is 19 years old and averaged 15.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in the Coratian playoffs and was named the MVP of the finals.

If the Thunder are to pick Saric, they may have to do so with their lottery pick as many mock drafts have Saric getting picked as high as the early teens.

If the Thunder are to draft an international player that won’t come over right away with their lottery pick, it will really say a lot about what they think of the talent in this draft and that they are committed to Jeremy Lamb’s development.

Mar 16, 2013; Tulsa, OK, USA; Memphis Tigers forward Adonis Thomas (4) drives around Southern Miss Golden Eagles forward Jonathan Mills (24) during the championship game of the Conference USA tournament at the BOK Center. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Most of the focus around the Oklahoma City Thunder and the upcoming NBA Draft has been around their first pick, the 12th overall pick they have via the Toronto Raptors.

The Thunder also have three more picks in the draft and while they probably won’t end up drafting and keeping four players, they will have a chance to get someone else after the lottery.

Adonis Thomas, who left Memphis after his sophomore season, worked out with the Thunder yesterday and called it a success.

Oklahoma City Thunder workout was a success! Great workout with a great group of guys! Thanks to #OKC for having me! Next stop……….#DC

— Adonis Thomas (@AllDayThomas) June 3, 2013

Thomas averaged 11.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game with the Tigers last season. He is 6-foot-7, 240 pounds and will likely be a small forward in the NBA.

He is a physical specimen that can’t really shoot. He needs to develop into a great defender who can rebound to make it in this league. One day it would be nice if he could shoot the corner three.

Thomas isn’t even projected to get picked at all by DraftExpress so the Thunder probably won’t be thinking about him until the end of the second round.

Thomas is the kind of player that would probably be a nice addition to the Tulsa 66ers as there is no doubt he that he won’t have a chance to play with the Thunder next season.

The other player we know that the Thunder worked out yesterday was Steven Adams from Pittsburgh, who is a player the Thunder will consider with their first pick.

Jan 16, 2013; Villanova, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers center Steven Adams (13) dunks during the second half against the Villanova Wildcats at the Pavilion. Pitt defeated Villanova 58-43. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

One of the players picking up the most steam heading into the 2013 NBA Draft has been Pittsburgh’s Steven Adams.

Adams was extremely impressive during the NBA Draft Combine not just because of how athletic he is for his size but his ability to consistently stroke the midrange jumper.

Most people are predicting the Oklahoma City Thunder will draft a big man with the 12th overall pick in the NBA Draft and Adams’ name has been one that has been coming up.

The Thunder are even working Adams out today.

Steven Adams is in Oklahoma City and is working out with the Thunder today: on.fb.me/12pIfyG

— Royce Young (@dailythunder) June 3, 2013

I like the idea of drafting a big with the 12th pick for the Thunder. They definitely need to replace Kendrick Perkins sometime down the road and there are a few bigs projected in this lottery that do seem to have at least some potential.

Adams is athletic and skilled enough to knock down jumpers which are two things that make him seem like a pretty good fit in OKC.

Aside from Adams, a couple of other bigs that could be good fits in OKC include Alex Len, Cody Zeller or Gorgui Dieng.

Feb 18, 2013: Pittsburgh, PA, USA: Pittsburgh Panthers center Steven Adams (13) finishes a dunk against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Pugliese-USA TODAY Sports

Update: Steven Adams is working out with the Thunder.

Not a lot has changed in the past week in the various NBA mock drafts around the Internet.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, who will be picking 12th and 29th overall in the first round, are most likely going to take a big man in the lottery according to many of these mocks.

The thought process behind the Thunder going with a big man is that they will eventually need a replacement for Kendrick Perkins when his deal is up. Aside from that, the Thunder may look to draft a player that they can stow away overseas for a few seasons.

ESPN’s Chad Ford
12. Steven Adams, Pittsburgh
29. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece

Draft Express
12. Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga
29. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece

NBADraft.net
12. Steven Adams, Pittsburgh
29. Reggie Bullock, North Carolina

NBA.com
12. Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga
29. Alex Abrines, Spain

CBS Sports
12. C.J. McCollum, Lehigh
29. Dennis Schroeder, Germany

CBS Sports is the only mock that has the Thunder going non-big with their first pick. McCollum would be a great fit and there has been some talk that the Thunder would like to take him to help replace Kevin Martin if he is available.

There’s a lot of love for Adams too. Adams was very impressive at the draft combine in particular shooting the midrange jumper. His stock has been rising ever since and he is a great athlete too which would make him a good fit with OKC.

Only NBADraft.net has the Thunder taking a non-international player with the 29th pick. The Thunder essentially stow away players in the D-League these days now too so they don’t have to necessarily draft an international player if they’re looking for someone who may not be playing right away.

With four picks in this draft, the Thunder will more than likely be looking to make some trades. They definitely don’t need four more rookies on the roster next season.

May 16, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Shabazz Muhammad is interviewed during the NBA Draft combine at Harrison Street Athletics Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

There was a time when Shabazz Muhammad was thought of as a potential number one overall draft pick.

Now, he’s threatening to fall out of the lottery.

Muhammad, who played one season at UCLA before deciding to turn pro, was recently described by ESPN’s Chad Ford as a “natural fit” with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Outside of the top 10, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz all are natural fits. While a draft range of No. 8 to 14 is far from the No. 1 pick, it might just be what the doctor ordered for Muhammad. After being hyped his whole career, an escape from such crushing expectations might give him the freedom he needs to live up to his lofty potential.

via Chad Ford/ESPN

Muhammad definitely wouldn’t have much pressure on him if he were drafted by the Thunder. He wouldn’t have to start right away and may not even be getting much playing time since he would be starting out behind the likes of Reggie Jackson and possibly Jeremy Lamb.

Overall, Muhammad was a disappointment in his one season at UCLA but that doesn’t mean he will be a disappointment in the pros, especially if he is drafted by a steady franchise like the Thunder.

Muhammad is a lefty whose game somewhat resembles that of James Harden. Of course, no one now expects Muhammad to be of the same caliber in the NBA that Harden is but if he can do a poor man’s imitation that might work in OKC.

Scouts still believe Muhammad has the ability to become an elite scoring talent in the NBA. With Kevin Martin likely on the way out in OKC, trying to replace him with a guy who can score may be a great fit with Muhammad.

May 16, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; C.J. McCollum is interviewed during the NBA Draft combine at Harrison Street Athletics Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Most people have the Oklahoma City Thunder drafting a big man with the 12th overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Reports have surfaced that the Thunder are also intrigued by C.J. McCollum, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard from Lehigh.

While Oklahoma City has mostly been linked to bigs in the draft, a source insists the Thunder are intrigued by McCollum and think he could be an upgrade over Kevin Martin in their system. Other names to watch in the first round with the Thunder are Kelly Olynyk, Steven Adams, Rudy Gobert, Jeff Withey, or Gorgui Dieng as the search for Kendrick Perkins’ eventual replacement.

via Sheridan Hoops

McCollum was a career 20-point per game scorer in the Patriot League but missed over half of his senior season with an injury.

McCollum is apparently fully recovered from his injury and ever since his draft stock has been rising.

McCollum is seen as a combo guard who isn’t a true point but can really fill it up. Last year in college, he shot 51.6 percent from behind the three-point line and averaged 2.8 makes per game.

It’s hard to imagine that McCollum could be an upgrade over Kevin Martin immediately as a rookie but maybe he could be down the line.

Remember too that to get playing time under Scott Brooks, you need to be extremely committed on the defensive end. Otherwise, as Brooks has proven in recent years, a young player won’t be getting any run.

Many mock drafts have McCollum being selected well before the 12th pick too so if the Thunder are really sold on drafting him, they may have to trade up to do so.

If the Thunder really do like McCollum and don’t like Jeremy Lamb, they could package him together with a few draft picks to move up a few spots.

Mar 16, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Ben McLemore (23) drives to the basket against the Kansas State Wildcats in the second half during the championship game of the Big 12 tournament at the Sprint Center. Kansas defeated Kansas State 70-54. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder have the 12th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and they will be able to move up if they want to.

The Thunder also have the 29th and 32nd overall picks along with Dallas’ 2014 first round pick. Throw in two promising rookies in Perry Jones and Jeremy Lamb and the Thunder might be able to put together a package to move up into the top five.

It is being reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers are considering drafting Otto Porter with the first overall pick. That means that Nerlens Noel could then be taken second with the Washington Wizards’ third overall pick coming up.

The Wizards wouldn’t want to pick Kansas’ Ben McLemore a year after picking Bradley Beal, who plays the same position.

There’s a chance then that the Wizards would be interested in trading back. It might be a great opportunity for the Thunder to come in to try and get McLemore, as first suggested by Royce Young of Daily Thunder.

Remember that the Thunder considered trading James Harden to the Charlotte Bobcats last year at the time of the draft so they could pick Beal second overall. I bet we all wish that trade would have ended up happening.

McLemore is a lot like Beal in that he is a great shooter, moves well off screens and can create his own shot. He would be an ideal fit alongside Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant for the long haul.

Offering Washington a package they would consider for the third pick may be tricky though. It would definitely involve as many draft picks as the Thunder could send their way. In a draft that is supposed to be one of the weakest in years, that may not be so interesting for the Wizards.

In terms of young assets, Jones would definitely have to be included in the trade. You wouldn’t think Lamb would sweeten the deal at all especially if Washington is trading back to not pick a shooting guard. The Thunder could consider including Reggie Jackson in the trade too. They really don’t have much else other than that to offer.

Even though Lamb barely played at all this season, you have to wonder how much better the Thunder would see McLemore is. Is McLemore so much better that the Thunder would give up Jackson too? I kind of doubt it.

It will definitely be very interesting when the draft comes around and the days leading up to it if we here of any players Sam Presti and the Thunder are targeting.

Feb 16, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Kelly Olynyk (13) during the first half against the San Francisco Dons at War Memorial Gym. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Every Sunday from now until the NBA Draft, which is Thursday, June 27, we will take a look around the web at all of the respected NBA mock drafts to see who everyone has the Oklahoma City Thunder taking.

As a refresher, the Thunder have the 12th overall pick via the Toronto Raptors, and their own 29th overall pick in the first round.

ESPN’s Chad Ford
12. Steven Adams, Pittsburgh
29. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece

Draft Express
12. Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga
29. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece

NBADraft.net
12. Dennis Schroeder, Germany
29. DeShaun Thomas, Ohio State

NBA.com
12. Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga
29. Alex Abrines, Spain

CBS Sports
12. Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga; C.J. McCollum, Lehigh
29. DeShaun Thomas, Ohio State; Dennis Schroeder, Germany

Just about everyone thinks the Thunder will take a big man with their first pick. This makes sense because they could definitely stand to improve their depth there and will eventually need someone to replace Kendrick Perkins. All of these mocks have players like Alex Len and Cody Zeller off the board before the Thunder can pick.

With their second first round pick, everyone has the Thunder taking someone they can stash overseas for a few years. The Thunder have done this before with Serge Ibaka and Tibor Pleiss and it makes sense unless someone falls into their laps like how Perry Jones did last year.

Apr 17, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Milwauee Bucks guard Monta Ellis (11) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jeremy Lamb (11) during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

When looking back and evaluating the James Harden trade, one of the disappointing things is that we haven’t seen yet what Jeremy Lamb can do on the NBA court.

Lamb killed it in the D-League this season but got very few opportunities with the Thunder.

One of the reasons the Harden trade made at least a little bit of sense at the time was that Lamb, who was the 12th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, looked like he could possibly emerge into a star one day.

Obviously, it’s early but it’s still worrisome that Lamb didn’t get a chance at all in his rookie season.

There has been some talk that Lamb wasn’t able to give the same intensity during practices that has become commonplace with the Thunder organization. We also know that Scott Brooks will not play you if you are unproven on the defensive end and not totally committed to contribute on that end of the floor.

Will the Thunder think about trading Lamb on the day of the NBA Draft before even giving him a shot in the NBA?

We have to think this is a possibility. The Thunder will have the 12th overall pick in the upcoming draft. I’ve been saying all along that if they see someone they like in the draft, they have the tools to move up and go after him. One of the tools is Lamb and the idea of trading him.

A player like Victor Oladipo is an intriguing one. He looks like a player who can come in and play right away. We know he is an elite athlete that should be able to become a very solid defender quickly in the NBA, meaning he could see more early playing time than most of the recent Thunder rookies.

Right now, there are some mocks out there that have Oladipo going around pick number five which would be tough for the Thunder to move up that high. But if Oladipo is still around a few picks later, don’t be surprised if the Thunder think about moving up to get him.

We saw how much Reggie Jackson improved from his rookie season and how he broke out in the playoffs this year. Should we expect Lamb to make the same jump?

Lamb isn’t Jackson and it’s still pretty unknown if he has shown the same signs Jackson did this season with the Thunder.

If he hasn’t, then don’t be surprised if the Thunder decide to cut ties with Lamb on the day of the draft.

We should start to hear a little bit more about who the Thunder are interested in drafting in the coming weeks. That will tell us a lot more about the potential trading of Lamb.

Apr 2, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Maryland Terrapins center Alex Len (25) puts up a shot against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half of the NIT Tournament Semi-Final at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

In case you missed last night’s draft lottery, the Raptors failed to gain a top three pick, meaning the Thunder gained the rights to the 12th pick in the 2013 NBA draft.

In so, it’s time to make some phone calls, do some scouting, and watch film of possible draft picks for Sam Presti.

In terms of who the Thunder are looking for, it’s pretty evident what the Thunder are missing. An inside scoring presence. Yes, Serge Ibaka continues to improve. Yes, Kendrick Perkins does a great job defending the post and being a leader.  No, the Thunder do not get enough production in the paint.

So, who will do that job for the Thunder? Let’s take a look at possible candidates for who Sam Presti will call on June 27^th to become the newest member to play for the blue and orange.

1. Gorgui Dieng, Louisville

Dieng is 23-years-old who had a few years of experience, and was a big part of the championship run for Louisville. Despite him only averaging 9.8 points a game, he grabbed 9.4 rebounds a game. Ibaka and Perkins had trouble finishing all year, and Dieng shot about 72% at the rim this season according to hoop-math.com, which is huge for the Thunder. If Dieng is the guy where Durant or Westbrook can get in the lane and drop it off to him, I’ll be happy to see the Louisville big man in a Thunder uniform.

2. Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga

Olynyk is a solid seven footer with a versatile game. Many scouts say he has the ball handling ability of a SF, and can shoot the ball very well. He averaged 18 points a game this year, to go along with shooting 63.1% from the field.

3. Alex Len, Maryland 

Len is also seven foot and weighs 225 pounds. Len had surgery to stabilize stress fracture in his ankle, and many question his ability to stay healthy. Len only averaged 11 points a game, but can really play around the rim.

4. Rudy Gobert, France

Don’t be surprised to see his named get called with the 12^th pick. At the combine, he reached a 7’8.5” wingspan and a 9’7” standing reach, which is incredible. There are question marks with him being 231 pounds. According to Draft Express, “He shot almost 80% from the field in Pro A, while showing impressive potential as a rebounder and shot blocker. The progress he’s made since last season is extremely promising, and he’s maturing at a terrific rate.” To me, this seems like a high risk, high reward type of situation.

5. Guards like Dennis Schroeder (Germany), CJ McCollum (Lehigh), and Michael Carter-Williams (Syracuse)

In 2011, the same scenario happened. We all thought Sam Presti would get a big man to complement Ibaka and Perkins, and Presti decided to go with Reggie Jackson (great idea). You never know what Presti has up his sleeve. The more reasonable pick if the Thunder were to get a guard, would be CJ McCollum. He went down with a season-ending injury early this year, but says he’s 100% healthy. McCollum averaged 23 points a game last year, and even though he played at Lehigh, he put up 26 points in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament against Kansas.

www.court-side.com

The Oklahoma City Thunder came away with the 12th overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft from the lottery last night.

It hasn’t taken long for the millions of mock drafts to come out now with the draft order set.

The Thunder are a team that may look to be on the move according to some experts.

There is increasing chatter among NBA executives that the Thunder — who have two first-round picks and young talent in Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones — will look to make a major move on draft night. If they keep this pick, Saric, a smooth, mobile big man one executive describes as “the best passing big man in the draft,” is a nice find. Saric isn’t the bruising post-up scorer Oklahoma City craves, but he is exactly the kind of high-potential talent GM Sam Presti loves to develop.

Via Chris Mannix/SI.com

It’s no surprise that the Thunder will be looking to do more than just draft a player with this pick. I’ve been saying for awhile now that soon we will hear that the Thunder really like certain players. They’ll have the ability to go after them on draft day and move up a few picks if necessary.

This is the first I’ve heard of the Thunder potentially being interested in Saric, a 19-year old 6-foot-10 small forward from Croatia. But it’s not surprising.

The Thunder are in position right now to get better over a long period of time. They won’t necessarily be looking for a player in the lottery who can immediately come in and help the team.

Saric seems like the type that would be a project. He may not even come over to the NBA right away and if he does for the Thunder, that will likely mean a lot of Tulsa 66ers time for him.

Saric has been described as the European Magic Johnson. If this is true, then I hope the Thunder pick him but it’s hard to believe any comparison with Magic can be true.

Draft night will be an exciting time for the Thunder. With so many options, there’s a lot the Thunder could choose to do.

Mar 14, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Ben McLemore (23) shoots a jumpshot in the first half of the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the second round of the Big 12 tournament at the Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder will keep the Toronto Raptors’ draft pick as they end up with the 12th overall selection in the upcoming draft.

The Raptors would have kept the pick had the lottery slotted them in the top three, but there was only about a one percent chance of the happening.

This was pretty much expected for the Thunder. The Thunder will have a lot of options come draft day.

The Cleveland Cavaliers won the lottery and will be selecting first overall. The Cavs had a 15.6 percent chance to win the lottery.

The Orlando Magic, who had the best chance to win the lottery at 25 percent, will be selecting second overall.

The Washington Wizards, who had just the eighth best chance of picking first overall, snuck into the top three and will get the third overall pick.

Here is the official NBA Draft Lottery results:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Orlando Magic
3. Washington Wizards
4. Charlotte Bobcats
5. Phoenix Suns
6. New Orleans Pelicans
7. Sacramento Kings
8. Detroit Pistons
9. Minnesota Timberwolves
10. Portland Trail Blazers
11. Philadelphia 76ers
12. Oklahoma City Thunder
13. Dallas Mavericks
14. Utah Jazz

May 16, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Nerlens Noel is interviewed during the NBA Draft combine at Harrison Street Athletics Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA Draft Lottery is tonight at 7 p.m. EST and the Oklahoma City Thunder are actually in the lottery.

As part of the James Harden trade, the Thunder also received the first round pick of the Toronto Raptors.

The pick is top-three protected meaning that if the lottery results in the pick being in the top three, it goes to the Raptors and the Thunder won’t see it until next year.

Here are the official odds for getting each pick:

#1 – 0.7 percent chance
#2 – 0.8 percent chance
#3 – 1.0 percent chance
#4-11 – 0.0 percent chance
#12 – 93.5 percent chance
#13 – 3.9 percent chance
#14 – 0.0 percent chance

As you can see, more than likely the Thunder will end up with the 12th pick in the draft. Do the Thunder want this pick or are they hoping that the Raptors miraculously get a top-three pick so they can again get their first round selection next year?

This draft has gained a reputation as being particularly weak. Usually what that means more than anything is that there aren’t a lot of obvious future stars who are going to be taken early on. We’ve learned in recent history that can be misleading. The 2011 draft that produced Kyrie Irving as the top pick was also supposed to be very weak and turned out to not be.

The Thunder ending up with the 12th pick doesn’t mean they’re going to necessarily keep that pick either. The Thunder will also have their own first round pick (29th) and the Charlotte Bobcats’ second round pick (32nd) to work with. This will give the Thunder flexibility to move up or down a few slots if they see a reason to.

We haven’t heard much about who the Thunder might be interested in taking yet. There’s a lot of talk that they might be going for a big man who would eventually replace Kendrick Perkins as the starting center. But if an athletic wing like Victor Oladipo is on the board, they could go in that direction as well.

It will be very interesting what the Thunder decide to do on draft day. Trying to piece together what direction they might be going in will start tonight with the lottery.

Apr 10, 2013; Bloomington, IN, USA; Cody Zeller at his press conference for NBA draft. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowksi-USA TODAY Sports

Today at the NBA Draft Combine, former Indiana Hoosier big man Cody Zeller stole the show with an impressive workout.

Zeller posted a standing vertical jump of 35.5 inches, which is the highest recorded by a player 6-foot-9 or taller in the last decade.

Zeller then posted the fastest sprint time among all big men at the camp at 3.15 seconds.

What does all this mean? Hard to tell right now but this is the kind of thing that causes a player’s draft stock to really rise.

Zeller has been up and down over the last year with where scouts projected him to be selected in this draft. At one point, he was thought of as a top three pick and potential number one overall selection. After a pretty weak showing in the NCAA Tournament, some are now saying that Zeller won’t get taken until the very end of the lottery.

Zeller is one of a handful of names that has been linked to the Thunder as a potential selection with their first round pick that they received from the Toronto Raptors in the James Harden trade.

The Thunder may be thinking big because they will likely need to replace Kendrick Perkins some time down the road and Hasheem Thabeet wasn’t exactly the greatest backup center ever last season.

Zeller is looking like an incredible athlete, which is a description that will always follow the Thunder so he may start to be considered an even better fit than before now after the combine.

May 16, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Michael Carter-Williams is interviewed during the NBA Draft combine at Harrison Street Athletics Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The season ended for the Oklahoma City Thunder last night but we can already start looking forward to what will be an eventful and interesting NBA Draft for OKC.

The Thunder own Toronto’s first round draft pick that will likely be towards the end of the lottery.

The NBA Draft combine started today and teams have started meeting with players and conducting interviews.

The Thunder have reportedly interviewed Michael Carter-Williams, Otto Porter and C.J. McCollum thus far.

Michael Carter-Williams said he also interviewed with OKC, Minnesota, Detroit and Charlotte

— Jason Quick (@jwquick) May 16, 2013

Otto Porter has interviewed with Charlotte, Phoenix and OKC. Says he looks at Cleveland, Phoenix and Orlando as being the best fit.

— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) May 16, 2013

Lot of teams looking to talk to Lehigh’s CJ McCollum. 15 total interviews scheduled. Thunder, Magic, Nuggets and Cavs already talked to him

— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) May 16, 2013

All three of those players are projected lottery picks that have a good chance to get picked before No. 12, where the Thunder will most likely be selecting.

Keep in mind too that the Thunder have a lot of assets they could use to move up a few spots in the draft if they really want to go after someone hard. So all three of these players are real possibilities for OKC.

A lot of mock drafts have the Thunder taking a big man with their first pick, whether that is Alex Len, Cody Zeller or Gorgui Dieng. The thought behind that is they will need to replace Kendrick Perkins eventually and many believe Perkins is a strong candidate to get the amnesty axe this offseason.

The future of Kevin Martin with the Thunder is pretty uncertain as well and there is a very good chance he has played his last game with the team. So replacing him by picking another wing player could be a route the Thunder choose as well.

The Thunder do have Jeremy Lamb on the roster coming into his second season. But the Thunder didn’t actually pick him in last year’s draft and he hardly played this season so they may not be sold much on him.

Carter-Williams seems like a player the Thunder won’t really need. They already have two point guards in Russell Westbrook and Reggie Jackson. Carter-Williams is a big point who doesn’t have an outside shot and will likely struggle against quicker guards when he gets to the NBA. In a sense, he is more of a true point than either Westbrook or Jackson and could be used playing alongside all of them when the Thunder go small.

Carter-Williams is currently No. 9 on Chad Ford’s Big Board.

Porter fits the mold as an all-around three who may be able to play some four at the next level. There is a good chance he will end up going in the top five though, much higher than where the Thunder could move up.

McCollum battled an injury in his last season at Lehigh but his stock has been rising of late as the news gets around that he is 100 percent. He is a scoring guard who can shoot and could fill that role off the bench for the Thunder. OKC hardly plays rookies anymore though so it’s hard to imagine a player like that having an impact anytime soon with the Thunder.

Apr 8, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Louisville Cardinals center Gorgui Dieng (10) dunks against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half of the championship game in the 2013 NCAA mens Final Four at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

When you go through the NBA mock drafts across the internet, the Oklahoma City Thunder are usually taking a big man with the Toronto Raptors’ first round pick that they received from the Houston Rockets.

If the NBA Draft Lottery goes chalk, the Thunder will have the No. 12 pick in the draft along with the No. 29 and 31 picks.

In Chad Ford’s latest mock, he has the Thunder picking Louisville big man Gorgui Dieng.

Dieng saw his stock rise thanks to Louisville’s national championship run and a few really big games in the tournament.

Dieng proved himself as a very good passer for a big man. He’s also a great defender who can block a lot of shots.

Previous mock drafts had the Thunder taking Alex Len of Maryland or Cody Zeller of Indiana with this pick. But in this mock, Ford now has Len and Zeller getting picked before the Thunder’s pick.

I don’t see why the Thunder would settle for Dieng at this spot. With all of the picks at their disposal, the Thunder will be able to move up in this draft a few spots maybe near the top five to get a guy they like.

They could also trade back if they don’t like anyone. This draft of course has the reputation of being a very weak one.

The main reason the Thunder would be in the market for another big man is the looming inevitable amnestying of Kendrick Perkins that just feels like it must happen by next season.

The Thunder will need to replace Perkins in the starting lineup and increase their big man depth. It’s actually hard to imagine Dieng, Len or Zeller getting run to start the season over Hasheem Thabeet.

Whoever the Thunder pick, has a better chance than anything to be playing the entire 2013-14 season with the Tulsa 66ers.

The Thunder may not be considering replacing Perkins with another big center either. OKC could commit more to small lineups and feel like Serge Ibaka, Nick Collison and Thabeet is enough depth. Perry Jones, III could slide into the bigs rotation as a stretch four too.

The draft will be exciting for the Thunder this year. They have a ton of possibilities at their disposal with all of the picks they possess.

March 16, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UCLA Bruins guard/forward Shabazz Muhammad (15) reacts against the Oregon Ducks during the second half of the championship game of the Pac 12 tournament at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Oregon defeated UCLA 78-69. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

UCLA freshman Shabazz Muhammad has been lying about his age. It was believed that he was a 19-year old but news came out today saying that he is really 20 and born in 1992.

Muhammad was one of the highest touted of his class and a lot of that had to do with his age. His dominance over the competition he faced in high school is now just a little bit less impressive.

There’s a good chance that Muhammad will see his draft stock slip slightly now. He was once thought of as a top-three pick but now could end up going later in the lottery.

You also have to factor in that a bunch of players in the NCAA tournament on teams that make it far will likely see their draft stock rise.

The Oklahoma City Thunder of course own the rights to the Toronto Raptors’ first round draft pick this year (as long as it falls within picks 4-14). The Raptors pick would be No. 11 overall if the season ended today and the draft lottery went exactly as planned.

A lot of the projections right now have the Thunder taking Mason Plumlee, Gary Harris or Michael Carter-Williams at that spot.

A lot can happen between now and the draft and Muhammad may slip as far as where the Thunder will end up picking.

One comparison Muhammad has drawn is James Harden (with a little Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in him). He is a lefty like Harden and a lot of his moves and mannerisms look like Harden’s.

This isn’t to say that Muhammad would be the second-coming of Harden if OKC lands him but he might be able to be something like him.

The Thunder don’t seem to have any issue drafting players that come with baggage. Just look at the first round pick they made last year when they took Baylor’s Perry Jones, III.

The Thunder are going to have a very difficult time keeping Kevin Martin after this season. They already have one rookie shooting guard in Jeremy Lamb who is waiting in the wings.

Lamb has yet to see any substantial playing time this season with the Thunder and if that’s because the Thunder aren’t in love with him, then maybe they would draft Muhammad if he is available even though he plays the same position as Lamb.

There’s still a good chance that Muhammad is gone before the Thunder get to pick. Remember that the Thunder have a lot of assets too and moving up in the upcoming draft will definitely be a possibility for them.

Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder own the Toronto Raptors’ first round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. The Thunder will only keep that pick if it falls in the lottery and not the top three.

As of right now, the Raptors are 11th in the Eastern Conference standings and 6.5 games behind the 8-seeded Boston Celtics.

Some are expecting the Raptors to possibly make a push for the playoffs this season after trading for former All-Star Rudy Gay two days ago.

If the Thunder do end up with a lottery pick via Toronto this summer, what kind of player will they target?

The Thunder could look to upgrade the center position and Kendrick Perkins.

According to 82games.com, the Thunder are outperforming their opponents at every position this season with the exception of the center spot, where opponents have a player efficiency rating 5.9 points higher (17.6 vs. 11.7). Can you imagine how good this team could be with a league average center, even if it’s just a better version of a guy like Perkins who just rebounds, defends and takes up space in the middle?!

Looking at the top centers on the Chad Ford’s Big Board, three are currently projected to be top 10 picks: Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel (1), Maryland’s Alex Len (4) and Indiana’s Cody Zeller (7). Now, the Thunder would almost certainly have to trade up to get Noel, but Len and/or Zeller could conceivably be available for them take somewhere in the middle of the lottery like picks 4-8. Others big bodies who rebound well like Mason Plumlee (12), Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein (23), France’s Rudy Gobert (15), Pitt’s Steven Adams (26), Louisville’s Gorgui Dieng (31) and Kansas’ Jeff Withey (25) are other possibilities for somewhere later in the lottery.

Via ESPN

This is something many people will agree with. The Thunder could definitely stand to upgrade the center position.

Unless they are able to get a Nerlens Noel or Cody Zeller, whoever they draft likely won’t be able to take many minutes from Perkins, who is beloved by the Thunder coaching staff.

The Thunder might have the opportunity to move up in the draft however. They currently have many assets besides the Raptors pick including a couple of other first rounders, an early second rounder via the Charlotte Bobcats and rookies Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones, III who aren’t getting much playing time this season.

If Thunder GM Sam Presti sees someone he really likes, he will be able to move up the draft board if he wants to.

Unless the Thunder get one of those top three big men, don’t expect a big that they draft to get much playing time under head coach Scott Brooks.

Brooks hasn’t exactly been playing young guys drafted in the past few seasons too often. From Lamb and Jones this year back to Cole Aldrich the past few seasons, Brooks seems to favor the veterans quite a bit.

Peter Casey-USA TODAY SPORTS

The Oklahoma City Thunder posses two first round draft picks in the upcoming 2013 NBA Draft, theirs and the Toronto Raptors’ (and possibly the Dallas Mavericks’ if it falls after pick No. 20).

The Thunder’s pick will be one of the last ones of the first round but the Raptors’ pick could fall in the top 10. Throw in Charlotte’s second round pick that now belongs to OKC too and the Thunder will be able to move up very high in this draft if they want to.

Thunder GM Sam Presti has been scouting Oklahoma State freshman guard Marcus Smart this season, according to The Oklahoman. Smart is averaging 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game this season for the 12.4 Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Right now, ESPN’s Chad Ford has Marcus Smart No. 9 on his big board. At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Smart is a strong, physical combo guard.

Smart is the kind of player that already has the body and physicality to play at the next level and could be a good fit on the Thunder roster alongside Russell Westbrook in the backcourt.

The Thunder are all about versatility and switching on defense which is something that would cater to Smart’s game. The Thunder could also use some more playmaking with their second unit with the departure of James Harden this season.

The 2013 NBA Draft class has been described as one of the weakest in years but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any good players to come from it. The top of the class is weak but someone like Smart in the middle of the first round could be a very good pick.

It’s not uncommon for teams to draft players that played their college ball nearby too. It’s easy for Presti to go scout Smart and that may make Presti lean more towards taking him when it comes to draft day.

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 NBA Draft class has been described as particularly weak. Especially when you compare it to 2012, top projected picks Cody Zeller, Nerlens Noel and Shabazz Muhammad simply don’t stack up to Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Bradley Beal.

That’s why scouts are advising teams to trade their lottery picks this season.

“I don’t think this is a good draft,” said one scout. “This is the year you should consider trading your draft pick – no matter where it is.”

It appears unlikely that any lottery-bound team in the upcoming draft will find a franchise difference maker.

“The draft lottery was always supposed to be about exceptional players going to the worst teams,” said one of the scouts. “We’ve eroded the concept of ‘exceptional’ – exceptional doesn’t really exist anymore.”

via Charlotte Observer

The Oklahoma City Thunder is a team that may be able to take advantage of this advice and move up in the draft.

Why would the Thunder want to do this if the draft is so weak?

A draft being described as weak really only means that if a bad team has a high lottery pick, drafting one player at that spot won’t turn that franchise around. But if a good team like the Thunder moves up, even in a weak draft like this one, they could land a player ready to come in and contribute right away for their team.

The Thunder have assets to spare too. That’s what they received in the James Harden trade with the Houston Rockets. Not only did the Thunder receive Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb, but also three draft picks.

The Thunder received Toronto’s first round pick this year and will only keep it if it lands between picks 4-14. They received Dallas’ first round pick as well and get to keep that if it is above 20, which is looking unlikely right now. The Thunder also received Charlotte’s second round pick which would be the 33rd overall pick as of right now.

Right now, the Toronto pick would be No. 10 overall for the Thunder. Let’s say they wanted to move up into the top five by trading the No. 10 pick as well as their own first rounder and possibly Lamb, Perry Jones III or Reggie Jackson.

It’s easy to see that the Thunder could move up with the pieces they have.

They key is if Thunder GM Sam Presti has a prospect that he really likes. It might be hard to move up into the top four where Zeller, Noel, Muhammad and Ben McLemore will likely go. But after that if Presti likes someone like Alex Len, Anthony Bennett or Otto Porter, trading up to get that guy would be very possible.

Being a team that can trade up in the draft is a big reason why Presti pulled the trigger on the Harden trade. The Thunder are much more flexible in terms of forming their roster now than had they extended Harden.

So while scouts are advising all of the bad teams to trade down in the upcoming draft, keep you r eyes on the Thunder as a team who could shoot up the draft board and take a player they really want.

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder have the best record in the NBA right now but they will also more than likely have a lottery pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.

They acquired the Toronto Raptors’ first round draft pick as part of the James Harden trade and it looks like that pick will be somewhere in the top 10 (it is a top 3 protected pick).

The 2013 Draft Class isn’t on the same level as last year’s draft class but there will be a lot of players available in the lottery that could help out the Thunder a lot.

Part of the reason Thunder GM Sam Presti pulled the trigger and traded Harden was to have options in the future and be able to acquire young talent like they will be able to with the Toronto pick.

OKC could be in the market to add another big man or could be looking for an athletic wing/stretch four to add to its rotation.

The Thunder aren’t exactly a team that has given it’s young players much playing time the past few seasons as we’ve seen this season with Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones III playing more for the Tulsa 66ers than OKC.

Nevertheless, here is a look at a few players who might fall to the Thunder in the 2013 NBA Draft:

Alex Len, Maryland, C

Len is a player that has shot up most experts’ draft boards recently. He was originally slated behind center Cody Zeller by most but now could be taken ahead of him. He is a skilled offensive player that is pretty athletic for his position at 7-foot-1, 225 pounds. He needs to add strength once he gets to the league though.

Alex Poythress, Kentucky, F

Poythress is part of John Calipari’s freshman class over at Kentucky and the player with the most NBA-ready body of just about anyone in college. He is 6-foot-7, 215 pounds and immediately jumps off the screen when he moves on the court. He has a little Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in his game and would be a nice addition as an extra wing who can run the floor and defend for the Thunder.

Isaiah Austin, Baylor, F-C

The Thunder already drafted a big man from Baylor this past draft in Jones III and they may be in position to do so again this year. Austin is extremely skilled for his size at 7-foot, 215 pounds. He needs to gain a lot of weight to bang inside in the NBA. He already has very good shot blocking instincts and runs the floor great too.

Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE

Shabazz Muhammad – who was set to attend UCLA as a freshman this season – has been ruled ineligible by the NCAA for amateur rules violations.

Muhammad was one of the top recruits from this year’s class and is projected as a top five pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.

The Oklahoma City Thunder currently hold the Toronto Raptors’ first round draft pick next year and will keep it if it falls in the 4-15 range. Right now the Raptors have the third worst record in the league, starting the year 1-4.

Even with Muhammad being ruled ineligible, scouts say it won’t affect his draft stock much although it may keep him from being selected first overall. With players like Nerlens Noel, Cody Zeller and James McAdoo around, there is a chance Muhammad could drop past the top three giving the Thunder a chance to make a play for him.

The 2013 NBA Draft is a long way away and a lot can happen between now and then but Thunder fans should keep a close eye on this situation because Muhammad plays a lot like James Harden.

Muhammad is a lefty like Harden and built like him too at 6-foot-6, 225 pounds. If you watch his highlight tapes, you will immediately see the similarities.

Imagine what kind of genius Thunder GM Sam Presti would look like if the Thunder are able to draft Muhammad with the Toronto pick they received in the Harden trade.

There is still a good chance Toronto will start playing better and end up with a pick much higher than the fourth overall. But the Thunder will also have two other first round picks in their own and Dallas’ as well as Charlotte’s early second round pick to use in an attempt to move up the draft board.

This is the kind of flexibility and options that Presti earned the Thunder in the Harden trade. Harden was always going to be the sure thing but there is the possibility of replacing him with a talent like Muhammad next year now.

Grantland’s Jonathan Hock spent 24 hours with Royce White on the day of the NBA Draft back in June. White was one of the most interesting players in the draft as he has a condition doctors describe as “generalized anxiety disorder.”

Basically, it means White is constantly worrying about things, especially flying in an airplane, which is something you have to do a lot when you play in the NBA. White was one of the top talents in the draft but because of this condition slipped later in the first round than he normally would have been projected to be taken.

In the video, White’s agent is on the phone with White on draft night listing off all of the teams that planned to pass on him. The Oklahoma City Thunder with pick No. 28 were one of those teams.

Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE

White was one of the many players projected to be selected by the Thunder in mock drafts. By draft day however, most mocks had White being selected before the Thunder would have a chance to pick, most popularly to the Boston Celtics with one of their picks in the early 20’s.

White would get picked even higher by the Houston Rockets at No. 16. Apparently, head coach Kevin McHale was the only man in their draft room who wanted White.

Would the Thunder really have passed on White had he slipped all the way to No. 28? It seems pretty unlikely especially since White would be exactly the kind of player they would have wanted. White is a 3-4 combo forward who can handle the ball and has good size too. He played just one season at Iowa State and averaged 13.4 points, 5.0 assists and 9.3 rebounds per game. His NBA comparison was a more athletic Boris Diaw.

For the Thunder, they ended up drafting another highly talented player that slipped in the draft in Baylor’s Perry Jones. If it came down to a decision between White and Jones, you have to think the Thunder would have gone with White. White is more NBA ready as a player while Jones is more of a project for now. The Thunder are in the business of winning championships right away too.

The decision never had to be made for the Thunder but it is interesting to hear that White would have likely dropped into the Thunder’s hands if McHale couldn’t convince Houston to draft him.

After watching this video it’s pretty clear that everyone will be rooting for White regardless of where he will be playing.

Perry Jones III wasn’t happy as he was not being picked during the 2012 NBA Draft. He fell all the way to No. 28 in the first round where the Oklahoma City Thunder took him.

Jones III was projected to be a lottery pick for most of the last two seasons, had he come out after his freshman season or this season.

“Everybody knows I wasn’t supposed to slide as far as I did but it turns out I’m happy I did because this is a great organization,” Jones III said. “This is a perfect spot for me and I believe everything happens for a reason and these guys treat me like family.”

One of the reasons Jones III did fall so far is because of concerns regarding a knee condition he had prior to even playing at Baylor.

“It’s a previous injury he had prior to coming to Baylor he’s played two years (since) and has been incredibly consistent with it and it’s just something we have to watch as we go forward,” Thunder GM Sam Presti said. “If there’s anything that comes up from it we’ll be proactive but going into the situation we’re thrilled and we’re looking forward to having him compete this summer.”

Presti said that Jones III is a team first kind of player and that’s exactly what the Thunder were looking for. Add in the fact that he is an elite athlete and it is a perfect fit.

Jones III wore No. 1 and 5 in his time at Baylor but can’t wear either for the Thunder. Kendrick Perkins wears No. 5 and No. 1 is retired in honor of Gus Williams who played for the Sonics.

Jones III will wear No. 3 then, the number he wore in high school.

Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE

Perry Jones III may very well have been the steal of the draft for the Oklahoma City Thunder, drafting him 28th overall.

The Thunder did not expect to see Jones III on the board at this point but were more than happy to select him.

“We felt very comfortable making this selection at 28,” Thunder GM Sam Presti said. “We looked at all the information that we had available, and we wouldn’t have selected him unless we felt comfortable with all the information.”

Presti went on to say how he saw Jones III in his first ever college practice at Baylor and spoke to his coach there who described Jones III as someone who really cares about what he’s doing on the basketball court and of course, quite the amazing athlete.

The more you think about Jones III on this Thunder team, the more it seems like a perfect fit. His personality should blend right in with the likes of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

“We really see him as a blend player,” Presti said. “We see great value in the fact that he’s incredibly talented, but he’s able to play within a team and understand how he can impact a game. He doesn’t need to be forcing the issue at all times. And with our particular team, we feel like that’s a huge quality that we looked at as a positive for us.”

But how much can we expect from Jones III during his rookie season? There are concerns regarding the health of his knee. Will he make the rotation?

The general consensus right now around the local media that cover the Thunder is that there aren’t a lot of immediate expectations for Jones III and that he may not be in the rotation to start.

“We won’t pigeonhole him,” assistant GM Troy Weaver said of Jones’ future position. “We think he can play anywhere on the front line. He’s a versatile player. The coaches will handle that. But we see his versatility as a strength.”

The Thunder will look to have a 10-man rotation once the season starts and Jones III actually has a very good chance of cutting into it. They will have the same starters as last season with Harden and Nick Collison as the first two off the bench.

Eric Maynor will be back from injury and will take over Derek Fisher’s backup point duties, assuming the Thunder don’t re-sign Fisher. Daequan Cook will continue his role as 3-point specialist leaving one more spot for Jones III to compete for.

Cole Aldrich has been in line waiting to step into the rotation and now with Nazr Mohammed likely gone he may. But Jones III could compete and beat Aldrich for that spot. The best case scenario for the Thunder would be if Jones III does crack the rotation.

You see, Jones III is exactly the type of player OKC was missing in the playoffs. They needed another versatile athlete to throw on LeBron or be able to grab rebounds while also defending quicker players.

In the playoffs, the Kendrick Perkins trade where OKC sent away Jeff Green started to look like a bad idea, if only Green was healthy. The Thunder were really missing that stretch 3-4 guy who can make some plays, defend a lot of positions and rebound.

Jones III can be exactly that for the Thunder. He won’t be the ball handler that Green was but he is bigger and just as athletic if not more. He’s not going to protect the rim like Serge Ibaka but he’ll be better to have out there than Fisher trying to take charges all the time.

We all keep reminding ourselves that Jones III could have been a lottery pick, this year or the last. That means he really should be getting a solid chunk of minutes for the Thunder next season.

“Everybody looks at his talent and says this guy should be dominant,” Weaver said. “But he plays within a teamwork and tries to blend with players and help his team win ballgames.”

One thing is for certain that the Thunder players will embrace him. Any down feelings Jones III had for slipping so late in the first round will be immediately erased when he steps on the floor with the most exciting team in the NBA.

This may be the typical overreaction immediately following the draft but there’s a few things we know about this Thunder team. One is that they will win a championship whether it’s this next season or soon after. Jones III will be integral in helping them do so.

The Thunder did not expect to see Jones III that late in the draft but could not pass up the opportunity to draft a player as talented as Jones III.

Jones III played two seasons at Baylor. He was projected to be a lottery pick after his first season and could have been this year too if this draft wasn’t as deep and if concerns regarding his knee didn’t come up.

Jones III averaged 13.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and shot .549 percent from the floor as a freshman at Baylor. Last season as a sophomore he averaged 13.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and shot .500 percent from the field.

Jones III averaged around 14 points per game in high school as well. His productions has never quite lived up to the talent he possesses. Jones III has been compared to a mix of Rudy Gay and Josh Smith. He is a power forward who is skilled enough to make plays on the perimeter some as well.

Below are a few highlight vides of Jones III. The first is DraftExpress’ official draft video for him, then some highlights while he was at Baylor and the third is from Hoop Mixtape.

Bradley Beal was the player on Oklahoma City’s radar. Thunder GM Sam Presti had expressed interest in trying to move up to take the guard from Florida.

Trading up to pick Beal would have meant trading James Harden to Charlotte.

This took Thunder fans aback leading up to the NBA Draft. Harden was such an important piece to this team, one beloved by the fans.

As the Draft grew nearer, the Thunder dispelled any rumors involved trading Harden.

Leftover draft chatter: OKC officials took steps in recent days to assure James Harden he wouldn’t be dealt for top-3 pick & then proved it

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 29, 2012

The potential trade seemed unlikely in the first place despite it possibly making some sense for both sides. From the Thunder front, it’s good to hear that Harden didn’t have to sit through the Draft wondering if he might suddenly get traded.

Thunder GM Sam Presti on the James Harden rumor: “James Harden is a coveted player. But I don’t think anyone covets him as much as we do.”

— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) June 29, 2012

The Thunder may not have traded up into the lottery in the draft but they did still end up drafting a lottery-level talent in Perry Jones III of Baylor.

Jones III fell to OKC at pick No. 28 as the former projected lottery pick slid further than almost anyone expected in the first round.

Things could not have gone better for the Thunder in the Draft. They didn’t expect to make any substantial picks and ended up having a potential gem fall right into their laps.

These are the kind of things that tend to happen to teams right before they start winning championships.

Here are draft grades for every team:

New Orleans Hornets
No. 1 overall – Anthony Davis, PF, Kentucky
No. 10 overall – Austin Rivers, G, Duke
No. 46 overall – Darius Miller, G/F, Kentucky

The Hornets really couldn’t go wrong possessing the first overall pick in the draft and chance to take Anthony Davis. Davis has a chance to be a franchise changer and playing alongside Eric Gordon in New Orleans is a good start. The Hornets took Rivers 10th overall which is what they wanted to do. The Hornets believe Rivers can play some point for them although he is a scoring guard at heart. Gordon is a good playmaker himself though so the two may be able to share ball handling duties a la Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. The Darius Miller pick is nice too. He is an athlete that could make it in the NBA and was a teammate of Davis’ at Kentucky.

Grade: A+

Oklahoma City Thunder
No. 28 overall – Perry Jones, III, F, Baylor

To win a championship, sometimes it takes a little luck. The Thunder got the steal of the 2012 NBA Draft with the No. 28 pick. Perry Jones III we knew was going to fall because of concerns mainly surrounding his knee but sliding this far to a franchise that is perfect for him just seems unfair to the rest of the league. It was a Spurs-like snag for OKC and they know it already. Jones III has lottery talent and top-5 pick potential. One knock on him is that he never really stepped up and dominated and was more of a supporting role type of mindset and player. Well, come on down to OKC that sounds just fine!

Grade: A+

Charlotte Bobcats
No. 2 overall – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky
No. 31 overall – Jeffrey Taylor, G/F, Vanderbilt

The Bobcats were supposed to either trade the No. 2 pick or take Thomas Robinson if they couldn’t. Instead, they shocked everyone selecting Michael Kidd-Gilchrist second overall. MKG is a player that will shine no matter where he plays, even in Charlotte. He has the potential to be the second best player in this draft class and it was a wise choice to make here by Michael Jordan. Jeffrey Taylor is a good pick too in the second round. Taylor was projected to go a little earlier in the draft and is a nice value find at 31.

Grade: A

Washington Wizards
No. 3 overall – Bradley Beal, SG, Florida
No. 32 overall – Tomas Satoransky, G, Czech Republic

The Wizards got the man they wanted at No. 3 but had to hold their breath and pray before doing so. As the Bobcats were shopping the No. 2 pick, any team that may have gotten it was probably going to take Bradley Beal second overall. The Wizards desperately wanted an elite shooter and wing to place alongside John Wall and they believe Beal is that guy. Beal measured just under 6-foot-5 so he’s not huge but he is physical and can do a lot of things on a basketball court. Tomas Satoranksy in the second round apparently is friends with Jan Vesely which makes that pick awesome too.

Grade: A

Sacramento Kings
No. 5 overall – Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas

It was impossible not to fall in love with Thomas Robinson watching him break down after being selected fifth overall by the Kings. He won over a lot of fans with that reaction. Robinson is touted as one of the surest things at the top of this draft. The Kings wanted him bad too at No. 5, more than anybody else. Sacramento was going to pull off a trade with this pick with Houston if Robinson was off the board but obviously that didn’t happen. Robinson and DeMarcus Cousins are going to be able to get a lot of rebounds playing together.

Grade: A

Detroit Pistons
No. 9 overall – Andre Drummond, PF/C, Connecticut
No. 39 overall – Khris Middleton, SF, Texas A&M

The Pistons are extremely happy that Andre Drummond fell to them. Before the draft, they were hoping for this but planning to settle on John Henson. Drummond has as much upside as anyone in this draft. There are questions surrounding him but he is very young. It was the right pick here for Detroit without question. Khris Middleton isn’t someone that jumps out as a great pick here but at No. 39, there’s not a lot to expect.

Grade: A

Milwaukee Bucks
No. 14 overall – John Henson, PF, North Carolina
No. 42 overall – Doron Lamb, SG, Kentucky

The Bucks were pretty happy to see John Henson at No. 14 especially after trading down from 12 with Houston. Henson is the kind of guy Milwaukee wanted and someone who will block a lot of shots and grab some rebounds but really needs to put on some weight first. Doron Lamb is another player they were happy to see at No. 42. He could have gone in the first round and is an irrational confidence guy who can shoot and play some D too.

Grade: B+

Cleveland Cavaliers
No. 4 overall – Dion Waiters, SG, Syracuse
No. 17 overall – Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina

It wasn’t a huge shocker that Cleveland took Dion Waiters No. 4. They were planning on possibly doing so and after being unable to trade up to No. 2 and take Beal, Waiters was the next guy on their list, probably just ahead of Harrison Barnes. It wasn’t an overly popular pick but Waiters has an NBA-ready body and next to Kyrie Irving should do well. With Tyler Zeller sliding in the draft, the Cavaliers pulled the trigger on a trade with Dallas to get to No. 17 and take the North Carolina center. They gave up three picks for Zeller so they must really like him. Now with a core of Irving, Waiters, Thompson and Zeller, Cleveland’s future looks kind of alright.

Grade: B

Portland Trailblazers
No. 6 overall – Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State
No. 11 overall – Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois
No. 40 overall – Will Barton, SG, Memphis

Before the Draft, Portland was intent on keeping their 6th and 11th picks and they also loved Damian Lillard. Six may sound high for Lillard but Portland did something smart: picking their favorite guy and not caring where they did it. They then filled a need at 11 with Meyers Leonard, the center from Illinois. Portland was projected in some mocks to take Andre Drummond and either Austin Rivers or Jeremy Lamb. That sounds a little better than what they ended up with. They get Will Barton at No. 40 which is another solid value pick as he was projected late-first by many.

Grade: B

Golden State Warriors
No. 7 overall – Harrison Barnes, G/F, North Carolina
No. 30 overall – Festus Ezeli, C, Vanderbilt
No. 35 overall – Draymond Green, F, Michigan State
No. 52 overall – Ognjen Kuzmic, C, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Despite his overall disappointing feeling, many still feel Harrison Barnes can be an All-Star in the NBA. Getting him at No. 7 was a pretty solid pick for the Warriors, who are starting new next year post-Monta Ellis and with Andrew Bogut. Festus Ezeli with the last pick of the first round is understandable too and he is a high-character guy who will work hard for them. Draymond Green is another good pick to get in the second round. The Warriors didn’t have a flashy draft but they made some value picks and that’s always a good strategy.

Grade: B

Houston Rockets
No. 12 overall – Jeremy Lamb, SG, Connecticut
No. 16 overall – Royce White, F, Iowa State
No. 18 overall – Terrence Jones, F, Kentucky

The Rockets were stockpiling draft picks with one thing on their mind: Dwight Howard. That hasn’t happened yet and now feels like it won’t. They were hoping to move up to No. 5 to take Andre Drummond but since Thomas Robinson fell to the Kings there, they weren’t trading that pick. The Rockets will settle for three pretty solid players starting with Jeremy Lamb at No. 12 who has a lot of pro potential as a scorer. When they took Royce White at No. 16, you knew they weren’t trading their picks anymore. White has gotten a lot of buzz this draft as a more athletic Boris Diaw who plays a little like Charles Barkley too. Terrence Jones two picks later is another talented forward that can do a variety of things. You always feel players Daryl Morey drafts are guys who can find a spot in the NBA. The Rockets just had bigger sights for this draft than this.

Grade: B

Phoenix Suns
No. 13 overall – Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina

It’s just about official now that Steve Nash is on his way out in Phoenix. Kendall Marshall is their point guard of the future. Marshall was one of the best assists men in college the past two seasons and has drawn comparisons to Mark Jackson and Andre Miller so yeah, he’s not quick. He’s fun to play with and will make the players around him better. They like that in Phoenix.

Grade: B

Chicago Bulls
No. 29 overall – Marquis Teague, PG, Kentucky

The Bulls were either going backup point here or combo-guard shooter. Marquis Teague is a talented player with this pick and someone who may be able to play alongside Derrick Rose some. It’s nothing special for the Bulls but a good pick nonetheless. Bulls fans were dying for Perry Jones III to slip one more pick into their laps.

Grade: B

Toronto Raptors
No. 8 overall – Terrence Ross, SG, Washington
No. 37 overall – Quincy Acy, PF, Baylor
No. 56 overall – Tomislav Zubcic, PF, Croatia

The Raptors would have loved to see Harrison Barnes fall one more pick into their laps. They would have loved even more to move up and snag Dion Waiters. They settle for Terrence Ross who can do things that will make him have a solid NBA career: shoot threes and defend. Quincy Acy in Round 2 could be a Reggie Evans type which is something this franchise has experience with. Tomislav Zubcic will not come over right away. If Toronto gets Steve Nash, a lot of their problems will appear solved.

Grade: C+

Orlando Magic
No. 19 overall – Andrew Nicholson, PF, St. Bonaventure
No. 49 overall – Kyle O’Quinn, C, Norfolk State

The Magic are in a weird situation and have been ever since Dwight Howard started pouting. Howard ran their head coach and GM out of town and still wants out himself. He hasn’t gotten it yet but it’s really only a matter of time. Orlando’s picks of Andrew Nicholson and Kyle O’Quinn may have been logical, but they won’t make their fans feel better yet

Grade: C+

Boston Celtics
No. 21 overall – Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State
No. 22 overall – Fab Melo, C, Syracuse
No. 51 overall – Kris Joseph, SF, Syracuse

We knew Jared Sullinger would drop, we just didn’t know how far. The Celtics are in a rebuilding stage now and looking to bulk up their front court with Sullinger and Fab Melo. The Celtics were hoping for Royce White here or to trade up and take Doc Rivers’ son Austin Rivers in the lottery. The best case scenario for Kris Joseph (taken No. 51 overall) is Gary Forbes, according to DraftExpress.

Grade: C+

Philadelphia 76ers
No. 15 overall – Maurice Harkless, SF, St. John’s
No. 27 overall – Arnett Moultrie, PF/C, Mississippi State

Philadelphia fans are not happy with the decision to take Maurice “don’t call me Moe” Harkless 15th overall. When you draft a guy who plays the same position as your best player at No. 15, it never feels like it makes sense. Harkless came out after just one year at St. John’s and is said to have some pro potential but he’s nothing special. The 76ers traded up with Miami to get Arnett Moultrie at No. 27. It’s just another lateral move here for Philly. Their fans want more than that.

Grade: C

Denver Nuggets
No. 20 overall – Evan Fournier, SG, France
No. 38 overall – Quincy Miller, G/F, Baylor
No. 50 overall – Izzet Turkyilmaz, PF, Turkey

The Nuggets surprisingly went with Evan Fournier at No. 20 despite some talent sitting on the board. Fournier will not come over to the NBA next season but was the highest rated international prospect of the draft. The Nuggets clearly weren’t looking to try and strike gold with late first round picks this year. They’ve already accomplished that with Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried. Their pick at No. 38 felt a little better. Some fans wanted Quincy Miller with the 20th pick so getting him this late is a win in that sense. Miller is young with a ton of potential but has the usual question marks. Denver went with another international product late in the second round that we won’t see in the NBA right away.

Grade: C

Atlanta Hawks
No. 23 overall – John Jenkins, SG, Vanderbilt
No. 43 overall – Mike Scott, F, Virginia

Nothing special here for Atlanta. John Jenkins could be decent but he won’t turn any heads. He can really shoot it though and might get some run for the Hawks where Josh Smith is on the way out. It would have been great if Atlanta had decided to draft Marquis Teague here and run an all-Teague backcourt with his brother Jeff. Love the Mike Scott pick.

Grade: C

Dallas Mavericks
No. 24 overall – Jared Cunningham, G, Oregon State
No. 33 overall – Bernard James, C, Florida State
No. 34 overall – Jae Crowder, F, Marquette

It doesn’t seem like Dallas was trying to do a ton in this draft. They dealt their 17th overall pick to Cleveland probably because there was no one they were in love with. They got three picks back for it and didn’t do anything crazy with them. One of the cooler moments in the draft though was Bernard James having his name called and walking to the podium. The crowd started chanting “U-S-A” because James served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dallas’ main priority this offseason is wooing Deron Williams and/or Dwight Howard.

Grade: C

Memphis Grizzlies
No. 25 overall – Tony Wroten, Jr., PG, Washington

The Grizzlies wanted a point guard and a lot of mocks had them going with Marquis Teague but they choose Tony Wroten, Jr. instead. Jay Bilas calls Wroten, Jr. a taller Rajon Rondo. That means he’s a good passer and can’t shoot a lick. Maybe it’s what Memphis needs and there is some upside there.

Grade: C

Utah Jazz
No. 47 overall – Kevin Murphy, SG, Tennessee Tech

Utah has enough young players from the last few drafts that they didn’t care too much about this year. Kevin Murphy is the only player from this draft to score 50 or more points in game last year in college. Why not?

Grade: C

Miami Heat
No. 45 overall – Justin Hamilton, C, LSU

Miami could have had Perry Jones III at No. 27 and it would have been just as scary as OKC getting him if not more so. They just didn’t want to have to pay a first rounder this year. Their cap space will be tight the next few seasons. They trade down here and get a 7-footer which they need. Something tells me we won’t see a ton of Justin Hamilton playing for the defending champs.

Grade: C

San Antonio Spurs
No. 59 overall – Marcus Denmon, G, Missouri

The Spurs drafted him so he’ll be an All-Star in four years. Marcus Denmon feels a little Patty Mills/James Anderson. The Spurs probably aren’t expecting too much from Denmon though.

Grade: C

New York Knicks
No. 48 overall – Kostas Papanikolaou, F, Greece

Not doing anything here. The home crowd really loved this pick at least.

Grade: C-

Los Angeles Clippers
No. 53 overall – Furkan Aldemir, PF, Turkey

Love this pick. He may never play in the NBA but he is a great rebounder and can only score on putbacks, according to Fran Fraschilla. What’s not to love?

Grade: C-

Los Angeles Lakers
No. 55 overall – Darius Johnson-Odom, SG, Marquette
No. 60 overall – Robert Sacre, C, Gonzaga

Darius Johnson-Odom plays the wrong sport. He’d be an awesome football player and used that to his advantage in college for Marquette. He will look a lot smaller in the NBA. If Robert Sacre is playing for the Lakers next season, it won’t be a good thing.

Grade: C-

Brooklyn Nets
No. 41 overall – Tyshawn Taylor, PG, Kansas
No. 54 overall – Tornike Shengelia, PF, Georgia
No. 57 overall – Ilkan Karaman, PF, Turkey

Brooklyn not trying to go crazy here. They are just praying for Deron Williams and Dwight Howard to hookup in their new city. Tyshawn Taylor might make it as a backup point in this league but nothing more. Tornike Shengelia goes by “Toko” and is a 6-foot-9 scorer who is good at attacking and can score around the rim well but has no jumper. Ilkan Karamen has a ton of tattoos and may “never play in the NBA” according to Fran Fraschilla.

Grade: C-

Minnesota Timberwolves
No. 58 overall – Robbie Hummel, SF, Purdue

Kevin Love, Chase Budinger and now Robbie Hummel. Good luck rest of league.

Grade: C-

Indiana Pacers
No. 26 overall – Miles Plumlee, PF, Duke
No. 36 overall – Orlando Johnson, SG, UCSB

This may have been the worst draft pick ever, worse than Sam Bowie. With names like Perry Jones III, Draymond Green and Festus Ezeli on the board, Indiana elects to take the worst Plumlee brother, Miles. If they weren’t Indiana and known for their white hoopsters, this would be an even worse pick. It’s still so horrible though words can’t describe it. There’s nothing that could make this pick ever make sense. They get Orlando Johnson from UCSB in the second round who was a 20-point scorer last year and might do something for them.

Grade: F

Jones attended Baylor for two seasons and averaged around 14 points and 7 rebounds per game. Jones is one of the best athletes in this draft but there is some concern with his knees.

This is without question the best possible scenario for the Thunder. Jones is certainly a risk because of injury but is also a huge reward if he pans out at all.

Jones is a perfect fit for the Thunder too as a stretch four who can rebound and defend. He’s basically a guy the Thunder could have really used in the NBA Finals against Miami.

It was amazing that Jones was on the board this late in the draft and when Miami was on the clock, it looked like they might take him. The defending champs decided to trade their pick to Philadelphia (who was projected to take Jones 15th overall in some mocks) who drafted Arnett Moultrie.

The Thunder have made great draft picks in the past but most of those came in the lottery. Making great picks later in the draft is what makes you become a dynasty.

Drafting Jones may be that first late great pick for the Thunder that propels them to another level on their way to becoming a dynasty.

• The Boston Celtics have expressed interest in moving up into the lottery. The Celtics have the 21st and 22nd picks in the first round. Their number one target is reportedly Duke guard Austin Rivers, son of Celtics head coach Doc Rivers.
• The New Orleans Hornets also have Rivers atop their list for the No. 10 pick. This means that Boston would have to try and move into the top nine to take Rivers. The only teams who could conceivably move out of the top 10 are the Sacramento Kings or the Golden State Warriors although neither seems likely.
• Kings and Rockets trade talks for the No. 5 pick have intensified. The Rockets are looking to get the fifth pick to take Andre Drummond. Sacramento doesn’t seem to be sold on any player to draft except for Thomas Robinson. Once Robinson is drafted, if it is before No. 5, the Kings will likely pull the trigger on trading the fifth pick to Houston for a few of their first round picks and Kyle Lowry.
• The Charlotte Bobcats who have been shopping their No. 2 overall pick for awhile now have reportedly narrowed down the candidates to the Cavaliers and Rockets. The Rockets number one mission is to get pieces to send Orlando’s way for Dwight Howard. The Cavs have the 4th and 24th pick in the first round and any deal for the No. 2 pick with Charlotte would include both of those.
• This means the Thunder are 99% not trading James Harden. It never felt like it was really going to happen anyway.
• The player most teams seem to want to get at No. 2 is Bradley Beal, unless the pick stays with Charlotte in which case they’d likely pick Thomas Robinson. Beal will not drop past Washington at No. 3.
• If Beal is off the board at No. 3, the Wizards would still likely look for a shooter as opposed to picking Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. They went into the draft many believed having Harrison Barnes high on their board and would also possibly take Dion Waiters instead of MKG.
• The Portland Trailblazers really want Damian Lillard. They have the 6th and 11th overall picks. They have heard that Lillard will not be available at 11 so they may have to take him at 6.
• The Detroit Pistons will reportedly select John Henson at No. 9 if he is there. Drummond may drop to No. 9 but if he doesn’t, Detroit is probably going with Henson.
• The Thunder aren’t necessarily looking to pick a player at No. 28 that will play next year. That means they could be leaning toward Evan Fournier from France and also now Kostas Papanikolaou of Greece.

Fashion has become a trending topic in the NBA this season maybe moreso than ever. Russell Westbrook basically took over the playoffs this year with his postgame shirts.

Kevin Durant got in on the act too sometimes with his backpack and sometimes not.

James Harden has made his impact on the NBA fashion world as well with his old man beard that he’s been growing for over a year now.

But what did these guys wear to the draft back in the day?

Here’s a look:

Not too bad. Durant is of course repping his college which is expected. Westbrook is pretty normal too. Harden is a little different of course going with the bow tie.

Here is our most recent 2012 NBA Mock Draft.

#	Team	Player	Pos	School
1	New Orleans	Anthony Davis	C	Kentucky
2	Charlotte	Thomas Robinson	PF	Kansas
3	Washington	Michael Kidd-Gilchrist	SF	Kentucky
4	Cleveland	Bradley Beal	SG	Florida
5	Sacramento	Andre Drummond	C	Connecticut
6	Portland	Damian Lillard	PG	Weber State
7	Golden State	Harrison Barnes	SF	North Carolina
8	Toronto	Dion Waiters	SG	Syracuse
9	Detroit	John Henson	PF	North Carolina
10	New Orleans	Austin Rivers	SG	Duke
11	Portland	Tyler Zeller	C	North Carolina
12	Houston	Jeremy Lamb	SG	Connecticut
13	Phoenix	Kendall Marshall	PG	North Carolina
14	Milwaukee	Meyers Leonard	C	Illinois
15	Philadelphia	Perry Jones III	PF	Baylor
16	Houston	Terrence Ross	SG	Washington
17	Dallas	Terrence Jones	PF	Kentucky
18	Houston	Arnett Moultrie	C	Miss. St.
19	Orlando	Moe Harkless	SF	St. John’s
20	Denver	Jared Sullinger	PF	Ohio State
21	Boston	Royce White	PF	Iowa State
22	Boston	Tony Wroten, Jr.	PG	Washington
23	Atlanta	Fab Melo	C	Syracuse
24	Cleveland	Andrew Nicholson	PF	St. Bonaventure
25	Memphis	Marquis Teague	PG	Kentucky
26	Indiana	Draymond Green	PF	Michigan State
27	Miami	Festus Ezeli	C	Vanderbilt
28	Oklahoma City	Evan Fournier	SG	France
29	Chicago	Doron Lamb	SG	Kentucky
30	Golden State	Quincy Miller	SF	Baylor

The only certainty about tonight so far is that Anthony Davis will be the No. 1 overall draft choice. After that just about every team is open to trades involving their picks.

• The Houston Rockets have been making the most moves so far. They have acquired the 12th, 16th and 18th picks in the first round. Their ultimate goal is to somehow trade with Orlando for Dwight Howard. The first step towards getting Howard to Houston is trading with the Kings first. The Rockets first offered Sacramento Kyle Lowry and two of their first rounders for Tyreke Evans and the 5th overall pick. The Kings turned down that offer.
• The Kings aren’t sold on any prospect yet at No. 5. They are hoping that Thomas Robinson could fall to that spot although that is pretty unlikely. Robinson is currently projected No. 2 overall to the Bobcats but the Bobcats reportedly have five offers on the table for that pick. The Kings were earlier rumored to have been eyeing Harrison Barnes with the fifth pick but now are possibly thinking Andre Drummond instead.
• The Bobcats have been shopping their No. 2 overall pick for awhile now. We first heard of them targeting James Harden for the pick. The Thunder have expressed interest in Bradley Beal but would have to part ways with Harden to move high up enough to draft him making that very unlikely.
• The Timberwolves have reportedly offered Charlotte Derrick Williams – last year’s No. 2 overall pick – for this year’s No. 2 overall pick. Williams wasn’t terrible this season but the idea of possibly pairing Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio alongside Beal or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is enticing.
• The most likely deal to be made with Charlotte for the No. 2 pick would involve Cleveland and their No. 4 and No. 24 picks in the first round. The Cavs would most likely want to move up to jump Washington so they can pick Beal but it has been reported that Cleveland is considering Dion Waiters with the No. 4 pick as well.
• Waiters has been shooting up draft boards a ton these past few weeks. Now the Toronto Raptors are also interested in moving up to pick Waiters. Toronto has the No. 8 pick and has been projected to select a shooting guard with that pick from day one. If Waiters is not there for them, they could choose between Austin Rivers and Jeremy Lamb with the pick.
• Kidd-Gilchrist is considered by a lot of experts to have the second most potential of any player in this draft behind Davis. The Bobcats have showed little interest in him and he has been rumored to potentially slide as far down as No. 5 for Sacramento.
• The Los Angeles Lakers have put Pau Gasol on the market the past few days and have expressed some interest in MKG as well.
• The Atlanta Hawks are interested in dealing Josh Smith for Gasol but the Lakers haven’t shown much interest in that yet.
• Drummond is another prospect with tons of potential but also considered a risk. He could go in the top five or drop as low as nine. The Rockets would like to use some of their picks to move up to No. 7 if Drummond is there and trade with the Warriors.
• The Warriors are looking for a player to be an immediate impact. It would be hard to consider anyone other than Davis as an immediate impact player in this draft but if Barnes slips, the Warriors could try and move up to draft him.
• The Portland Trailblazers have two lottery picks at No. 6 and No. 11 and they intend to use both as opposed to packaging the two to move into the top five.
• The Boston Celtics would like to move into the lottery. They currently have the No. 21 and No. 22 picks in the first round. They were rumored also to have promised Royce White that they would draft him at that time if he is still available.

This is just the tip of the ice berg so far today in terms of NBA Draft rumors. We are just over five hours until the draft will begin and there will surely be plenty more stories developing until that time.

Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE

Anthony Davis will be selected first overall tonight in the 2012 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Hornets. Then we will hear names like Thomas Robinson, Bradley Beal, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Harrison Barnes.

Austin Rivers will sit and watch these players walk to the stage, shake hands with the commissioner and put on that hat as their dreams come true a few minutes before his does.

Rivers won’t like it, seeing other players drafted before him. In his eyes, he’s the best player that will be drafted tonight.

Rivers was known within the recruiting circles since before he started playing high school basketball. As the son of Boston Celtics head coach, Doc Rivers, it wasn’t hard for Rivers to get on the map.

Once the rankings started coming out for Rivers’ high school class, his name could be found right there at the top of the list. It stayed that way through Rivers’ high school career and by the time he was a senior, his name was right in the mix with Anthony Davis’ and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist’s.

Rivers went to Duke to play college ball under Mike Krzyzewski. It was the right choice. There he would learn to defend better, become part of a team and learn to flop.

It was a tough season for Rivers at Duke though. The team was successful but still underachieved by the school’s standards. Rivers led the Blue Devils averaging 15.4 points per game, shot .433 from the field and .365 from three.

Rivers wasn’t playing with a real point guard. He was the only player on the team that could create his own shot and defenses defended Duke accordingly. Rivers looked frustrated all season.

In high school, everything ran through him all the time. That’s what made watching him in high school so special. He didn’t play for a prep school that had five or six Division-1 players on the roster. He was far and away the best player and his coach used him that way. He used him like an NBA coach would.

Rivers was always made for the NBA. College basketball was just something he was forced to do. He was born to play in the NBA and he’s been preparing for this opportunity his whole life.

But Rivers has become one of the most polarizing players in this year’s draft. Some people hate how he plays, mostly those that grade basketball players by: “Is he fun to play with?” Those are just outsiders that don’t understand what Rivers is about.

Those who have seen him up close and followed him for years know he wasn’t given this opportunity because his dad played in the league. It’s nothing but hard work for him. He has the best opportunities at his disposal and he has used them to the fullest.

That’s how you know that Rivers having the same alpha dog attitude Kobe Bryant has is a good thing. If he didn’t have the foundation around him and was a bad kid, it could backfire.

But it won’t and that’s why in a few years teams are going to regret passing on Rivers. You can’t kill them for it tonight and Rivers is probably going to go a little higher than most mocks are projecting him.

“He is an alpha dog. I think he will succeed in the NBA because of that,” Krzyzewski said. “He believes he’s going to be great. I’d rather have a guy like that than a guy who doesn’t believe in himself.”

As each player walks to the podium before him tonight, Rivers will be taking notes, writing down the names of those teams just like Kobe did.

Christopher Hanewickel-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder weren’t supposed to make a lot of noise at the NBA Draft this year. The franchise that has made some of the best draft decisions in recent history would have just one pick in the draft at No. 28.

The rumors started picking up yesterday with seemingly every team in the lottery shopping their picks around. The Thunder’s name came up.

Oklahoma City and their GM Sam Presti are reportedly very interested in Florida guard Bradley Beal who is projected to be a top three pick right now. The Thunder appeared so interested in the reports that they would even consider trading up for Beal.

Getting into position to select Beal would mean one thing for sure: trading James Harden to the Charlotte Bobcats for the No. 2 overall pick.

It sounds crazy to think that OKC would trade away their third best player after making it to the NBA Finals this past season but there is some logic behind the possible move.

The Thunder have a decision to make with Harden this offseason. He will be eligible for an extension beginning July 1 and the Thunder are going to have to pay him quite a bit to keep him.

Harden would likely be able to get close to a max-deal with another team if he doesn’t extend with OKC. If he stays with the Thunder he’d be taking a few million less each season.

Harden has talked about sacrifice with this team and his role with this team but it would still be a lot of money for him to leave on the table.

The other factor is that the Thunder would also like to try and keep Serge Ibaka who is also up for an extension this summer. Ibaka isn’t worth as much as Harden but if the Thunder do extend both, that would leave them very little salary room to build around a core of Durant, Westbrook, Harden and Ibaka.

The Thunder would also most likely enter the luxury tax in the next few seasons which is now a much harsher penalty with the new CBA. Oklahoma City is a small market without a TV deal right now so avoiding the luxury tax is a priority for this franchise.

If the Thunder dealt Harden for Beal, it would make life a little easier on those constructing the roster. Beal would have a rookie deal barely affecting the cap at all, Ibaka would be extended probably along with Eric Maynor this summer and the Thunder would have some more cap room to bring in talent to surround Durant and Westbrook.

Harden is a great player who will only improve over the next few seasons and Beal would be more of a risk, obviously since he hasn’t played in the NBA yet.

Presti and the Thunder organization are all about building a team with not only talented players but players who fit the Thunder model. Harden certainly embodies that but if Beal also does, Presti might be closer to pulling the trigger on a deal.

Beal has been compared to Ray Allen (unfairly) but plays closer to an Eric Gordon or less athletic Andre Iguodala. He competes on both ends of the floor and is a good pick-and-roll ball handler, although Harden is one of the best in the league at this.

OKC would be taking a baby step back if they went through with this trade. They wouldn’t have the same fire power coming off the bench and even more responsibility would lie with Durant and Westbrook.

Durant and Westbrook could probably handle the increased responsibility but maybe not by next season. Harden was so integral in OKC’s playoff run this past season and took over games at times even with Durant and Westbrook on the floor with him.

Trading Harden seems crazy but maybe it’s not so crazy. The Thunder more than likely will not make this move. They know they came so close to winning it all this year and they want this core to play out to whatever potential they may have.

Bradley Beal of Florida – who is considered the No. 2 prospect in the draft by 70 percent of GMs – is on Oklahoma City’s radar.

Beal told ESPN/ESPN.com Wednesday that Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti told him during an interview in Chicago that he was interested in trying to move up to draft him. The Thunder’s first-round pick currently isn’t until No. 28.

“He told me he was going to decide what they’re going to do and considered getting up there,” said Beal.

via ESPN’s Andy Katz

The Charlotte Bobcats have been looking to move the No. 2 pick in the draft and that is how far OKC would have to move up to select Beal. Beal is definitely not falling past the Washington Wizards at No. 3.

“I’ve heard it a lot,” Beal said of the Thunder scenario. “It’s really interesting. I would love to play with Kevin Durant. (Russell) Westbrook, great point guard. Just the whole team. It’s young, I would love to play with a young team. They play fast. I’d love to get up and down, shoot the ball. Overall, whatever situation I Iand in I’ll be happy.”

The Thunder would have to give up James Harden to move up to the No. 2 pick. There were reports a few weeks ago that the Bobcats had offered the No. 2 pick to OKC for Harden.

Harden was obviously a huge part of the Thunder’s run to the NBA Finals this past season. Harden did struggle quite a bit in the Finals against the Heat and the Thunder are going to have a tough time keeping both Harden and Serge Ibaka down the road without dipping into the luxury tax.

Harden is up for an extension starting July 1 and while a deal isn’t done yet, Harden felt that he and the Thunder would come to an agreement.

Still, Presti has seriously considered finding a way to get to Beal. A number of sources said that Presti spent three days in Gainesville during the lockout watching the Gators practice, a fact that Beal confirmed Wednesday.

A source also said that Florida coach Billy Donovan met with Presti in Dallas when he took his two nephews to the Oklahoma City-Dallas first-round playoff series in May. Presti and Donovan have had multiple conversations on the phone about Beal, as well.

A source with direct knowledge of the situation said, “Oklahoma City exhausted every opportunity on campus to find out everything they could find out about Beal. They’ve done everything they can.”

via ESPN’s Andy Katz

The Thunder model is all about making great draft choices, developing that talent and creating a culture of winning in Oklahoma City.

Harden was as much a part of that culture as anyone in OKC but continuing that model might mean dealing Harden instead of paying him for a player that could blossom into a similar player.

The Thunder are already locked in to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Trying to keep a third All-Star who needs the ball to be productive might not be the best idea.

Everyone in Thunder camp loves Harden and they should. But the NBA is a business and the right business decision here might be Beal.

Anthony Davis will go first overall to the New Orleans Hornets then it gets a little shady. Many believe Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is the second best player in the draft but Charlotte may be leaning toward another player at No. 2.

Thomas Robinson of Kansas has been getting the biggest buzz at No. 2 for the Bobcats. However, the Bobcats have been open to shopping their No. 2 pick but haven’t found any suitors just yet.

The same goes for Washington at No. 3 who is also listening to any offers made for that pick but if they keep it, it’s pretty certain they will look to pair Bradley Beal with John Wall in their backcourt.

Next will come the decision between MKG and Harrison Barnes. During the NCAA tournament and immediately following, MKG seemed like the obvious pick between the two. But Barnes’ stock has risen some in the past few weeks and Cleveland could take him at No. 4.

It appears very few players are interested in going to Sacramento as many refused to work out for the Kings. Houston has already made an offer for the No. 5 pick in an attempt to stockpile draft picks and talent to throw Orlando’s way for Dwight Howard.

After the first five picks the draft will turn into: Where will Andre Drummond go? Drummond has as much talent and potential as anyone in the draft according to most scouts but he is very young and a big risk in the top five.

Drummond could slip down as far as No. 9 but still could be picked second overall as well.

Austin Rivers, who may be the most polarizing player in this draft, will have a chance to be selected soon after. A few weeks ago Rivers was projected as low as the early-20s by some which would have put the Boston Celtics and Rivers’ father Doc in play to draft the Duke shooting guard.

Rivers has been slowly climbing the boards of late though as high as No. 8 to Toronto but still could fall out of the lottery potentially too.

Towards the end of the first round at pick No. 28, the Oklahoma City Thunder will have a chance to decide what they want to do with their pick. There are a few players on their radar that could fall to that pick most notably Jared Sullinger and Royce White, but it feels more likely that OKC will try and move the pick or draft Evan Fournier of France and store him overseas for a few years.

So here is the latest NBA Mock Draft 2.0 from Thunderous Intentions:

Be sure to stay up to date with our current Mock Drafts here.

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

The 2012 NBA Draft is upon is and that means plenty of rumors, trade talks and speculation over the next 48 hours. One thing that won’t be speculated is who the New Orleans Hornets will be drafting first overall.

Anthony Davis will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. We’ve known this for awhile now. Basically since he began playing college basketball it was clear he was the best player in the country.

Davis at 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan averaged 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per game in his one season at Kentucky. He led them to a national championship season in which the Wildcats lost just two games.

Davis’ spot in the 2012 Draft will not be questioned but the kind of pro that he will become is certainly of some debate.

Davis will be most comfortable playing power forward in the NBA although he will be able to play some center too depending the on the team and situation. He is 6-foot-10 but only 222 pounds right now so he’s not going to overpower you.

The way that Davis will overpower you is with his skills and basketball savvy. Before his senior year of high school, Davis was a 6-foot-3 point guard not drawing much attention at all from colleges.

When you hear that now, it isn’t surprising at all. He can handle the ball like a guard, moves like a guard and has instincts most big men take a long time to develop. The best part about Davis is that he blossomed so late and for a number of reasons, most importantly being that he was not tainted by the AAU circuits.

Davis was never a prima donna who expected anything to come his way. He grew up in a poor family in Chicago and his rise to the national stage happened so fast there was never any time for an ego to grow.

Davis has been compared to a number of NBA players. Marcus Camby comes to mind immediately although it feels like Davis’ ceiling would be higher than that. There have also been comparisons to Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire.

Bill Russell is also a name that has come up. The 11-time NBA champion is rarely compared to NBA players nowadays. It makes sense. It was a different game in the 1960s so it’s hard to compare that era to today. Russell was only about 6-foot-9 and a modern day version of him in the NBA would look something like Thaddeus Young so it’s hard to imagine him impacting today’s game anywhere near to how he did in the ‘60s.

But what would Russell look like today? Not simply if you placed Russell in today’s game but what would the Russell equivalent be in 2012?

Anthony Davis might be it.

Russell embodied everything about team basketball. He didn’t score the most points but he got the most rebounds, blocked the most shots, ignited the most fast breaks and won the most championships.

Davis will never lead the NBA in scoring but he might become the best at everything else. If Davis peaks at 19-14-4-5 (points-rebounds-assists-blocks), isn’t that something that the modern day Russell would average.

What if Davis averages that and is simultaneously the best teammate in the NBA. He’s the perfect defensive anchor to block shots, rebound, start fast breaks and run the floor, everything that Russell was so perfect at.

Davis isn’t going to win 11 championships in today’s NBA but Russell wouldn’t have either. The equivalent of 11 would be something like 6 or 7 for Davis. It seems pretty impossible but you never know.

Alright, so comparing Davis to Russell already isn’t totally fair. But it’s a decent comparison and “best possible scenario for the 2012 No. 1 overall pick.”

The ultimate point is: if you had to think up a modern day Bill Russell, Anthony Davis sounds about right.

Christopher Heniwinckel-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder have just one pick in the 2012 NBA Draft Thursday night, the 28th pick in the first round.

The Thunder have a history of making great draft picks although most of those came in the lottery in the top five. The picks of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden are the biggest reasons why the Thunder have become so good, so quickly.

Making good picks later in the draft is what can keep the Thunder at the top for years to come. The Thunder have done this once already drafting Serge Ibaka in 2008 at the end of the first round but aside from that pick, haven’t really hit on any non-lottery picks in the draft.

The 2012 Draft is a deep one and the Thunder will have options in front of them with the No. 28 pick. OKC may not be looking to keep the pick however as they are first and foremost trying to ensure enough cap room to keep Harden and Ibaka down the road.

Thunder GM Sam Presti said though that if the right player is available then the Thunder will take him.

Here is a look at a few potential draft picks the Thunder might make Thursday night:

Most likely picks

Draymond Green – Michigan State, PF

Green is projected to go late first round with a lot of mocks having him go before No. 28. The feeling is that if Green is on the board when the Thunder are picking, it would be really tough for them to pass on him.

It’s usually tough to find a player at No. 28 who can play right away but Green played all four years at Michigan State and is already 22-years old. He played the four a lot in college but has the skills to be a 3-4 in the NBA, the type of player OKC was really missing in the last two rounds of the playoffs this season.

Jeff Taylor – Vanderbilt, SF

Taylor is also a player who played all four years in college. These are the types the Thunder would definitely consider taking. Taylor shot 42.3 percent from three last year and a shooter is something the Thunder would definitely consider adding in this draft.

At 6-foot-7, Taylor would also bring size and athleticism to the floor and again, thinking about the Thunder last year they didn’t really have a player like this. Taylor possibly assuming the Daequan Cook role and as Durant’s backup makes some sense.

Doron Lamb – Kentucky, SG

Lamb is a player that will most likely be on the board when the Thunder are picking. Lamb is another shooter who has drawn some comparisons to Jason Terry. Lamb shot 46.6 percent from three last year with Kentucky.

Lamb is very confident like Cook but again, has a little bit more size and athleticism. Every championship team needs an irrational confidence guy and Lamb could very well suit that role for OKC down the road.

Festus Ezeli – Vanderbilt, C

The Thunder are drawing a lot of Vanderbilt players in their mocks. Ezeli is a 7-footer who is athletic and could be a potential replacement for Nazr Mohammed with the Thunder next season. Cole Aldrich’s future is uncertain as he hasn’t played much at all for OKC this past few seasons so the team may be looking for someone else to fill that role.

The Thunder won’t be looking for much in terms of centers going forward. It feels like their future will consist of smaller lineups closing games with Durant at the four. But it never hurts to have some 7-footers on the roster.

If they fall to OKC, they’re probably not passing on them

Royce White – Iowa State, F

White is a player that has gotten a lot of attention leading up to the draft mainly for his fear of flying. He was originally expected to be a late-first rounder until the Celtics reportedly made a promise to him that they would take him at No. 21.

You never know though and White would be a perfect fit for OKC if he’s sitting there at No. 28. He’s described as a more athletic Boris Diaw which is a scary thing to think about.

Jared Sullinger – Ohio State, PF

Sullinger would have been a sure lottery pick had he left Ohio State last year after his freshman season. He stayed another year and now there are talks of him possibly falling out of the first round due to back problems.

The Thunder would be crazy to pass on Sullinger if he is there. They could definitely use someone like him with great hands, who can score down low and rebound. OKC passed on DeJuan Blain a few years ago and they won’t be making that mistake again if Sullinger is available.

Andrew Nicholson – St. Bonaventure, PF

Most mocks have Nicholson going right before the Thunder will pick. If he’s there then the Thunder will definitely think about snagging him. Nicholson can be a stretch four compared to Ryan Anderson and has the size to even play some center in the NBA.

Nicholson scored 18.5 points per game last year in college so he knows how to fill it up. It’s a position the Thunder would love to upgrade on their roster.

Storing a player overseas

Evan Fournier – France, SG

The Thunder aren’t totally committed to drafting someone this year and if there is no one on the board and they can’t trade their pick, they might elect to take Fournier who probably won’t be coming over to play for a year or two.

The Thunder did this with Ibaka a few years ago and also more recently Tibor Pleiss. Fournier wouldn’t be an exciting pick for OKC fans but one that they might expect maybe more than any other. Fournier has been compared to John Salmons and Chris Douglas-Roberts.

Mike DiNovo-US PRESSWIRE

The first major trade before the 2012 NBA Draft has occurred involving the Houston Rockets and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Rockets traded Chase Budinger to Minnesota in exchange for the 18th pick in the first round as first reporter by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

The Rockets now have the 14th, 16th and 18th picks in the first round and it is clear that they are trying to pull off a package that could land them Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.

The Timberwolves are past stockpiling first round draft choices as just about every player on their roster feels like they were selected in the lottery within the past five seasons. Budinger is a nice piece for them to build around Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio.

Shortly after this trade was completed, Houston offered the Sacramento Kings Kyle Lowry, the 14th pick and the 16th pick for Tyreke Evans and the 5th pick in the draft.

The plan here is for Houston to have a package consisting of Evans, Kevin Martin, the 5th pick and the 18th pick to send to Orlando for Howard.

Houston is doing everything possible to get Howard even though it has been reported that Howard is not interested in resigning with Houston after the 2012-13 season.

The Rockets and their savvy GM Daryl Morey are confident in themselves and what they have in Houston that they will be able to convince Howard to stay after a season with the team.

The Thunder have a young core of players that they put a lot of work in to build and it looks like they may not be interested in keeping their pick.

The Thunder hold pick No. 28, but it’s unlikely that they’ll keep it. Sources close to the situation say that Oklahoma City is satisfied with their young core and they aren’t interested in paying a prospect guaranteed money when he likely won’t be part of the rotation. The Thunder will likely trade or sell the pick. If they aren’t able to move the selection, expect them to draft a foreign player who they can keep overseas for several years.

via Alex Kennedy, HoopsWorld

This isn’t much of a shocker here. The Thunder are most interested in winning a championship right now. The Draft is more about building for the future and the Thunder have already done that before.

Draft Express currently projects the Thunder to draft Michigan State forward Draymond Green. If the Thunder keep their pick, a player like Green would be someone you would expect them to end up drafting.

Green isn’t someone that would make an immediate impact on their current roster so you can see why the Thunder are interested in moving the pick.

If the Thunder were to pick a foreign player, Evan Fournier of France is a player that has been projected to be selected by the Thunder.

Fournier, 19, is a 6-foot-6 shooting guard that has drawn comparisons to John Salmons, Marco Belinelli and Chris Douglas-Roberts. He is a player that the Thunder could draft and let him play another year oversees before coming over to the NBA.

The reality is that the Thunder are in the NBA Finals right now. They are unlikely to make any big moves centered around the NBA Draft to improve their roster.

But they have been a great drafting franchise over these past few years and making savvy decisions late in the Draft might be their next step toward becoming a dynasty a la San Antonio.

Presti and the Thunder will choose 28th overall in the upcoming NBA Draft after the Thunder had the third-best record in the NBA this season.

“The Pre-Draft Camp is another step in the evaluation process as we head into the draft,” Presti said. “We place a lot of value on the opportunity to sit down with a lot of the prospects and learn about them on a personal level as we determine who are potential fits for our organization now and in the future.”

The Thunder have a reputation for making great draft selections. Most of those great picks came early in the lottery though with Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

Making great selections as you move further down the draft board is one of the next steps for this Thunder franchise to become a dynasty.

Serge Ibaka was selected 24th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft and the Thunder had to wait a year before he came over to the NBA. That was the Thunder’s best non-lottery pick so far.

Among the players the Thunder are projected to possibly select in this year’s draft are Royce White (Iowa State), Evan Fournier (France), Andrew Nicholson (St. Bonaventure), Jeffrey Taylor (Vanderbilt) and Marquis Teague (Kentucky).

Check out Thunderous Intentions’s Mock Draft Lottery here.

Let the conspiracy theories begin.

As everyone knows, the Hornets have been owned by the NBA the past few seasons. The NBA is about to sell them to Saints owner Tom Benson but it is ironic that the one team owned by the NBA is the only team in this year’s lottery to move up.

Currently in a USA Today poll, 55 percent of people believe that the lottery was fixed last night.

Fixings and riggings have been surrounding the NBA for a long time with the notion usually being that certain things are better for the league like Patrick Ewing being drafted by the New York Knicks instead of the Indiana Pacers.

The entire lottery went chalk until New Orleans, who had the fourth highest chances to land the number one pick, jumped the three teams in front of them to snag it.

It wasn’t long ago that the NBA vetoed a trade sending New Orleans’ best player Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers stirring up more controversy with the league’s conflict of interest.

The team with the best chance to win the lottery, the Charlotte Bobcats, will now end up picking second in a draft where the difference between first and second may be greater than any other spot.

Michael Jordan of course owns the Bobcats and has been someone who has been centered around some conspiracy theories before in the league like when he retired in his prime to go play professional baseball.

If the league truly is fixed then we will see Miami in the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder: LeBron vs. Durant.

The Heat are already well on their way while the Thunder may need some Donaghy-esque help. Everyone get ready for Durant shooting 20 free throws per game the rest of the Western Conference Finals.

The Brooklyn Nets have an opportunity at the number one overall pick tonight and possibly drafting Anthony Davis but a source says that won’t be enough for the Nets to keep Williams.

“It’s Dwight Howard or bust,” said a source who has spoken to Williams.

If the Nets do land the number overall pick and they have a 7.5 percent chance of doing so, it could still mean that they could keep Williams.

The Orlando Magic might be most interested in a deal with the Nets to send Howard in exchange for the top pick Davis.

The Magic have not pulled the trigger on dealing Howard even though he so obviously wants to leave Orlando and a lot of that has to do with the kind of players they would be receiving in return.

There are few players considered more desirable to rebuild a franchise around than Anthony Davis. The Magic wouldn’t turn that down?

The odds are still against the Nets getting the number one pick and this being able to keep Deron Williams.

We will find out tonight at 8:00 p.m. EST on ESPN during the NBA Draft Lottery just how everything will begin to unfold.