Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

It was a short stint in the D-League and the Oklahoma City Thunder have already recalled Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones III and Daniel Orton back up from the Tulsa 66ers.

This looks like something that will be happening a lot for these Thunder players, getting sent down from time to time for short periods.

Lamb was the most impressive playing in three games and averaging 26.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He clearly has talent and it’s easy to forget he was a lottery pick because the Thunder didn’t draft him.

Lamb seems the most likely to find a place in the Thunder rotation this season especially if he’s capable of putting up these kinds of numbers in the D-League. The Thunder could use another backup wing instead of playing Sefolosha so many minutes, especially one who can score.

Jones III played in two games and averaged 11.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. He’s been pretty passive so far this season and the hype around him possibly getting big minutes as a rookie now looks pretty silly.

Orton started in five games for the 66ers averaging 10.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. You can always use big man depth and if the Thunder ever are in need, Orton looks like he could be a solid option. But with Hasheem Thabeet playing so well, it’s unlikely Orton will get much of a chance this season barring an injury.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced today that they will assign rookie Perry Jones III to their D-League affiliate Tulsa 66ers.

The Thunder have now sent down Jones III, rookie Jeremy Lamb, Daniel Orton and DeAndre Liggins to the 66ers. Liggins recalled back to the team over the weekend.

Jones III was thought to possible have more of a chance to crack the Thunder’s rotation early in the season after a successful training camp and preseason. He’s only played in 10 games so far this season averaging 7.6 minutes, 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds.

Jones III looks very hesitant in the limited minutes he’s received. Rarely has he aggressively looked for his shot. He’s settling for midrange jump shots rather than taking the ball to the rim and everything he does looks rushed.

When he’s been able to do it, he’s shown that he is freakishly athletic but those opportunities have been few and far between.

Jones III has been used as a three and stretch four at times this season. His great athleticism makes him able to guard multiple positions but he still has a lot to learn defensively as far as rotations and defending the pick-and-roll go.

Looking at the Thunder roster you would really want Jones III to develop into someone they can use come playoff time. When you look at a potential matchup with the Miami Heat and who the Thunder can put on LeBron James, after Kevin Durant and Thabo Sefolosha, Jones III looks like the best option.

Sefolosha has been playing more minutes this season instead of Jones III getting a shot. Hopefully, Jones III will get some good experience in the D-League and comes back to the Thunder later on this season more prepared to contribute.

Peter G. Aiken US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder have started the year well winning 10 of their first 14 games which puts them first in their division and third in the Western Conference.

The Thunder have a new look this season since trading away James Harden and they are learning to play together on the fly, especially in the case of new sixth man Kevin Martin. We are seeing some different lineups than we expected and some rotation changes from head coach Scott Brooks as well.

Noticeable absences to the Thunder rotation so far this season are rookies Perry Jones III and Jeremy Lamb. Jones and Lamb have each appeared in only six games this season with their minutes mostly made up of garbage time.

The Thunder selected Jones 28th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft and received Lamb in the trade with Houston. Lamb was picked 12th overall in the Draft.

Despite both rookies being extremely talented and good things being said about each all the time, Brooks has elected not to insert them into the rotation so far this season. Instead we are seeing more minutes from Kevin Durant and Thabo Sefolosha. Durant is averaging 40.0 minutes per game and Sefolosha is at 27.8.

With the Thunder second unit struggling as of late, one wonders if Brooks will give the rookies a shot sometime soon. Or will it take an injury before we see either of these guys getting significant minutes?

The situation in OKC is that they are a well-established team with experienced players getting all of the minutes right now. It’s not exactly a situation where you need to play your rookies. At least, that’s not what it seems like.

The Thunder have some issues right now though and Jones or Lamb definitely seem like two players that could help out instead of just wasting away on the bench.

What we’ve seen so far from Jones isn’t much. He was great in the preseason but in the regular season hasn’t been playing with the same kind of confidence and has been very passive overall.

Lamb hasn’t really gotten any minutes but when he’s been out there, he’s always looking to shoot and appears extremely confident.

Jones and Lamb are both great athletes who have the potential to play good individual defense pretty much right away. They may take some time to become better help defenders but you would think they need a little bit more of a chance to crack the rotation so far this season.

Their potential as scorers is higher than Sefolosha or Hasheem Thabeet too. With Eric Maynor also struggling on the second unit, someone like Lamb might be due for a shot to come in and get some shots up and see what happens. Jones developed great chemistry with Maynor in the preseason in the pick-and-roll and if used like that now could also break out and start helping the Thunder score more.

They need to be given more of a shot this season. It’s still very early but Brooks has already been going with a shorter rotation of just nine players. You don’t want to have to do that all season and keep playing Durant so many minutes.

The rookies can help with this if given some more playing time. A perfect chance for this will be the Thunder’s next game Monday night at home vs. the Charlotte Bobcats.

Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Perry Jones III has been absolutely impressive so far in the preseason for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He most recently dropped 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting as the Thunder beat the Charlotte Bobcats for their first win of the preseason.

Jones scored his 17 points with style too including three dunks where he showed off just how crazy of an athlete he is. Jones has impressed the Thunder fans, his teammates and head coach Scott Brooks. But that doesn’t mean he will be cracking the rotation just yet.

“And how good he played, he still backs up Kevin [Durant], so there aren’t a lot minutes,” Brooks told the Daily Thunder. “We’re all excited. He did so many things well last game but still, he’s a rookie and Kevin’s pretty good.”

We’re not calling for Jones to start playing 30 minutes per game right off the bat. If anything, Thunder fans are just hoping to see him out there from the start of the season. You can say he is backing up Durant because Nick Collison backs up Serge Ibaka and Cole Aldrich backs up Kendrick Perkins. But we all know Durant doesn’t play the three exclusively, and neither should Jones.

That leaves the sexy lineup of Durant and Jones on the floor at the same time. They are similarly athletically and the versatility with such a lineup would be awesome. Brooks talked about the potential of the two sharing the floor together.

“I like that lineup and I haven’t really figured that out,” Brooks said. “With Perry and Kevin they’re the same size and they’re the same athleticism. They can guard each other in practice, which I think helps them. But in the game they can switch, whoever has the mismatch they can go at them in the post. I think they’ve worked that out fairly well.”

Daequan Cook backed up Durant for much of last season at the three. But he didn’t always leave the floor when Durant came back in. The Thunder played a lot of small ball with Durant at the four at the end of the second and fourth quarters and Cook would stay in to help stretch the floor. The Thunder left themselves vulnerable defensively and on the boards with that lineup and while the offense thrived more, it didn’t always result in the best outcome on the scoreboard.

Cook will still very much be an option in that role this coming season although it seems to be lessened somewhat with the emergence of Jones. The Thunder won’t have to sacrifice the defense and rebounding if it’s Jones on the floor instead of Cook. They will still have plenty of size and be able to stretch the floor a little more so than with their starting unit that featured Ibaka and Perkins at the four and five.

“I think the biggest thing I like is I threw up a lot of different things and multiple positions and he was able to pick things up fairly quick,” Brooks said. “I say this all the time, it’s not an easy thing to do to pick this league up quickly as a rookie because there are a lot of things thrown at you … but we played him at the 3, we played him at the 4, we had him guard perimeter guys, he had to guard big guys, he brought the ball up the floor, they were pressing and he made good decisions. And he finished around the basket. His ball handling was good. I thought he was really good all game long.”

It sounds like Brooks already has a lot of confidence in what Jones can do. Now it will just be about convincing himself to play Jones over some players that were established in the Thunder rotation a year ago. Those players are mainly Perkins, Collison and Cook.

Cook seems like he can easily be bumped by Jones at least sooner than the others. Collison and Perkins will be tougher for Jones to overcome and it will probably depend on the matchup. The matchups in today’s NBA are often calling for smaller lineups rather than the traditional ones that Brooks seems to like.

At the end of the day, it will really be up to Jones. He has done a lot already but he needs to keep improving and impressing to give Brooks less and less reasons not to play him. One of the knocks on Jones coming out of college was he sometimes got lost in the shuffle and wasn’t aggressive. If that is true even just a little, we may be left waiting longer than we should to see Jones logging heavy minutes with the Thunder.

Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Through his first two preseason games in the NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Perry Jones III has already started impressing.

Jones had a team-high 14 points in 30 minutes last night vs. the Utah Jazz as the Thunder fell to 0-2 in the preseason. The final scores don’t matter as much as the development of chemistry for a player like Jones.

Jones did not hesitate with his jump shot in the game attempting four threes and making two of them. Jones said before the preseason that is what his teammates – namely Kevin Durant and James Harden – want from him.

Jones was described while in college as someone who had all of the tools but could get lost in a game where you forget sometimes he is on the floor. Even if that is the case, then what better place for him than Oklahoma City that is filled to the brim already with scorers who need the ball.

Jones can better fit in doing the little things, something head coach Scott Brooks said Jones loves to do. Jones can be used in many ways too defending multiple positions and providing the Thunder with more versatility.

“That’s his strength,” Brooks told The Oklahoman. “He is a versatile guy. He can score inside. He can score outside. He has a good feel for the game.”

The Thunder are known for not just drafting based on ability and also considering the mentality of the player and how they will mesh with the rest of the roster. This may again be the case of brilliant drafting by the Thunder in snagging Jones No. 28 overall in the 2012 Draft.

Jones primarily played the backup small forward minutes last night and we have still yet to see what he will look like playing alongside OKC’s Big 4. There is a good chance Westbrook and Harden will be suiting up in the Thunder’s next preseason game at home on Tuesday night so maybe then we will get a look at Jones with the starters.

Jones still has some work to do to crack the rotation but it is seeming more and more likely that he will. Jones may resemble more of the stretch four mold but with everyone feeling a little down on Daequan Cook, Jones may see more action at the three.

Within the Thunder rotation, Jones playing more three will bode well for him cracking the 10-man rotation and even becoming an option to close games playing next to Westbrook-Harden-Durant-Ibaka.

You never want to overanalyze too much from preseason games but it’s more than that with Jones. He looks comfortable, everything is so smooth and easy for him, and the coaches like him.

The Thunder may have just gotten the steal of the draft this year.

Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

A spot in the Oklahoma City Thunder rotation seems to be up for grabs right now. The Thunder usually go with a 10-man rotation and will play five bench players for stretches of the game as James Harden leads that squad.

Last year, that 5-man bench unit consisted of Harden, Reggie Jackson/Derek Fisher, Daequan Cook, Nick Collison and Nazr Mohammed. They came in and out of the game like clockwork until the playoffs started when head coach Scott Brooks shortened his rotation.

Harden and Collison will continue their role as one of the best two-headed monster pick-and-roll tandems next season but there will be some new faces out there with them. Fisher and Mohammed are no longer with the team so Eric Maynor and Cole Aldrich are likely to fill those voids.

Then there’s the backup three spot behind Kevin Durant. Cook was that guy last season playing the role of 3-point specialist. It was a down year for Cook though who averaged 5.5 points per game but shot just 36.8 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from three. The season before, Cook shot 42.2 percent from three.

There are murmurs around training camp now that rookie Perry Jones III could take over Cook’s spot in the rotation. Jones III has really impressed everyone in camp with his athleticism and versatility. Harden called Jones III the most athletic player on the team, Brooks has been impressed with the consistency of his midrange shot and Durant has taken the rookie under his wing playing the role of personal mentor. Jones III can play both the three and four positions for OKC and would bring them a type of player they did not have a season ago.

“It’s too early right now, but definitely D.C. had a role last year and I thought he did a pretty good job,” Brooks told The Oklahoman. “But there’s games where he’s not going to play many minutes. There’s games he’s only going to play in the first half. You just have to be ready. But we have three or four guys that can play that role and we just have to see which one starts off.”

Cook was said to show a shift in his mood when asked if he would continue playing the role he did last season, perhaps sensing that the rookie would inevitably take over for him some time soon.

“It’s different for everybody,” Cook said. “I mean, it’s different looks for every (practice) team. I’m not really concerned about that right now. I’m more focused on just preparing myself for the season and helping the younger guys out right now.”

The Thunder had the second most efficient offense last season and the main points of emphasis coming into camp and the preseason have been on defense and rebounding. Cook embodies that mindset less than Jones III does.

The sooner Jones III can crack the rotation, the better for the Thunder. They could really use a player like how he is described to become a key contributor on the team. The time is now for the Thunder to win a title and Jones III can help them in that journey. If Jones III can get a lot of minutes earlier in the season then he won’t be considered a “rookie” as much by the time the playoffs come around.

The Thunder already have one of the most athletic teams in the league. Jones III is 6-foot-11 and can run the floor as well as anyone on the team. Imagine a lineup closing out games of Westbrook, Harden, Durant, PJ3 and Ibaka, switching everything on defense, running after every rebound and just relentlessly attacking the mismatch on offense. It’s a dream right now for the Thunder but might be a reality sooner than later.

Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

There is nothing but good things being said about Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Perry Jones III just four days into training camp.

The Thunder selected Jones with the 28th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Jones was once considered a lottery talent but a few red flags and the depth of this draft class had him fall all the way down to Oklahoma City.

All impressions so far point to the fact that Jones is supremely talented for his size and position.

“Perry has done a great job; very athletic,” James Harden told The Oklahoman. “He’s been on that second unit with me as well so he’s kind of picking it up quick.”

Harden was then asked if the guys had to push Jones to get him going all out. That was one of the criticisms about Jones in college at Baylor that he didn’t always play to his full potential.

“Nah (laughs),” Harden said. “We’ve seen it a lot the way he can jump. He’s so athletic it’s unbelievable, probably the most athletic on our team.”

Calling Jones the most athletic player on the team is extremely high praise when you’re playing for the Thunder alongside players like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. This isn’t the first time either as head coach Scott Brooks also said this week that Jones was as fast as anyone on the team.

Obviously, Jones isn’t quite the athlete Westbrook is. The good news is that he is really jumping out athletically in practice. At 6-foot-11, 235 pounds Jones could become a real force in the NBA if he lives up to his potential.

For the Thunder he will not be asked to do too much right away and may not even crack the rotation at the start of the season. But with the league becoming more position-less with a higher value on versatility, Jones may become the perfect fit on the floor with Westbrook, Harden, Durant and Serge Ibaka.

Harden also said yesterday that he has only been playing with the second unit. Thabo Sefolosha has been injured and not practicing in full but other players besides Harden are filling in for the first unit.

“Can’t, Can’t do it,” Harden said. “Them my guys. Me and Nick Collison, that’s my guy.”

The Thunder will play their first preseason game next Wednesday, Oct. 10 vs. the Houston Rockets.

Here is the official roster for the Thunder in the Summer League via The Oklahoman:

The first look at rookie Jones III will be much anticipated. Jones III had lottery-level talent heading into the NBA Draft and slipped all the way to pick No. 28 for the Thunder. Jones III may really shine in these types of “showcase” games in Vegas.

All games will be televised on NBATV. Here is the schedule via Daily Thunder:

MONDAY JULY 9

10 a.m.: Brooklyn vs. Orlando
12 p.m.: Boston vs. Oklahoma City
2 p.m.: Utah vs. Detroit
4 p.m.: Indiana vs. Philadelphia

TUESDAY JULY 10

10 a.m. Philadelphia vs. Utah
12 p.m. Indiana vs. Oklahoma City
2 p.m. Detroit vs. Orlando
4 p.m. Brooklyn vs. Boston

WEDNESDAY JULY 11

10 a.m. Indiana vs. Boston
12 p.m. Oklahoma City vs. Detroit
2 p.m. Brooklyn vs. Philadelphia
4 p.m. Utah vs. Orlando

THURSDAY JULY 12

10 a.m. Detroit vs. Boston
12 p.m. Brooklyn vs. Oklahoma City
2 p.m. Indiana vs. Utah
4 p.m. Philadelphia vs. Orlando

FRIDAY JULY 13

7 a.m. Utah vs. Oklahoma City
9 a.m. Boston vs. Orlando
11 a.m. Philadelphia vs. Detroit
1 p.m. Indiana vs. Brooklyn

Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Hasheem Thabeet have agreed to a 2-year deal, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman.

The Thunder were reportedly interested in signing Thabeet for the past week now. The former No. 2 overall pick from the 2009 NBA Draft will likely sign for close to the league minimum, around $880,000 for the first year in his contract.

Thabeet has played in 135 games in his career and averaged just 2.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game. Thabeet was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies and later traded to the Houston Rockets and most recently the Portland Trailblazers.

Thabeet signing with the Thunder all but guarantees OKC will not re-sign center Nazr Mohammed. Thabeet will come in as the third-string center for Oklahoma City behind Kendrick Perkins and Cole Aldrich.

Thabeet coming on signing for the minimum helps the Thunder save money to get James Harden and Serge Ibaka. Thabeet is also a flyer with some potential upside that could be realized in the right situation.

“Playing in that environment is positive,” Thabeet’s agent, Bill Duffy told The Oklahoman. “Sam Presti has done a great job of not only building a winning organization but a culture that’s conditioned to developing and nurturing. So we think it’s a really good fit. So now the onus is on Hasheem to buy into that and to develop and to reach his potential.”

The Thunder can still sign one more player before next season. With Thabeet and rookie Perry Jones III, OKC will have 14 players on the roster.

Devin Ebanks, Daniel Orton and Roger Mason are three names rumored to be targeted by the Thunder this summer.

The top priority in OKC right now is getting a deal done with Scott Brooks and then extending James Harden and Serge Ibaka.

Former No. 2 overall pick from the 2009 NBA Draft, Hasheem Thabeet, could be a player that the Thunder may go after in free agency.

First the Perry Jones “gamble,” now Hasheem Thabeet? Source says Oklahoma City is the most likely landing spot for the 7-3 center who was taken No. 2 by Memphis in 2009 and will be playing for his fourth team (assuming he doesn’t sign with Portland, Houston or the Griz).

via Sam Amick of SI.com

The Thunder have three players that will be free agents this summer: Derek Fisher, Nazr Mohammed and Royal Ivey. They drafted Perry Jones III so that leaves two more spots on the roster to fill.

Fisher and Mohammed will likely not be coming back so there could be room for a free agent signing like Thabeet.

Thabeet is an unrestricted free agent and likely wouldn’t command much of a deal. The Thunder have always been interested in taking a flyer on Thabeet, even coming close to working a deal for him a couple years ago while he was still in Memphis. The Thunder feel strongly that put in their program, Thabeet still has the tools to develop into something worthwhile.

via Royce Young of Daily Thunder

Thabeet is considered by most a bust at this point in his NBA career. He has played in 135 games in his career and averaged 2.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

Thabeet is 7-foot-3 though and there is a reason he was drafted No. 2 overall in the draft. He has potential and has some tools to work with and the Thunder may see that in him.

The feeling around a team like OKC is that it would be a great fit for anyone. That was the case when they drafted Jones III. Had Jones III been taken in the top 10 by a team like Toronto, everyone would be calling it a bad pick. In Oklahoma City, it will be a perfect fit for Jones III.

That’s the same way people would feel if the Thunder signed Thabeet. Couldn’t he give the Thunder a solid 10-minute stretch now and then? Imagine Thabeet and Serge Ibaka in a lineup on the floor together. That sounds like it could be a force to be reckoned with on defense.

The Thunder have a luxury that not every NBA team has. They are young and made it to the NBA Finals last season and they now can take flyers on players like Thabeet and Jones III.

It seems like no matter what the Thunder do, it is the right move. Only the Thunder can sign Thabeet and call it “the right move.”

Update: Hasheem Thabeet visited the Thunder on Sunday and could end up signing with Oklahoma City, a source said. The 7-3 center has played for Memphis, Houston and Portland since being drafted No. 2 by the Grizzlies in 2009.

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.