Thunderous Thoughts: Bold Draft predictions
Welcome to Thunderous Thoughts, a weekly look at the OKC Thunder. This week I’ll make some bold predictions regarding the Thunder at the draft.
The NBA draft is tonight. Perhaps you’ve heard of it? Our beloved OKC Thunder are scheduled to pick 21st. But will they pick 21st? I have my doubts. Here are some bold Thunder predictions for tonight:
Enes Kanter is traded
I’ve believed all year that Kanter wouldn’t be part of the Thunder roster next season. His personal beliefs and issues might complicate things, but if Sam Presti is committed to trading the center, he’ll pull the trigger. There’s no use in waiting to make a trade. Presti needs to free up as much cash as possible ahead of July 1st.
That leaves the draft as Presti’s best chance to trade Enes Kanter. Kanter’s value is a bit of a mystery. His skills as a low post scorer are among the best in the league, but his defensive awareness and rotation are among the worst. His contract looks bad, but is $17 million for a team in need of a starting center who can get you 20 points and 10 rebounds on any night really that bad? Plus, he’s only 25-year-old and isn’t the locker room headache that he was made out to be in Utah.
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Presti is great at selling his own guys, which is an underrated skill that every GM must possess. It’s possible that he sells Kanter to a mediocre team looking for an offensive punch. Don’t dismiss the amount of stupid general managers in the NBA.
Who knows what Presti can get for Kanter. One would think not much, but he somehow turned Cameron Payne, Anthony Morrow, and Joffrey Lauvergne into Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott.
The Thunder won’t pick at #21
Whether Presti packages #21 with Kanter to trade up or he uses #21 to trade back remains to be seen. I just don’t see the player drafted at #21 suiting up for the OKC Thunder this season.
There are a lot of rumors swirling around right now. Paul George will definitely be traded, Jimmy Butler might be traded, the Knicks might relocate to Seattle. Who knows. But Presti, as per usual, isn’t in the rumors. That means he’s working on something. With limited assets, #21 might be his best asset.
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Presti can use #21 and potentially get a player more likely to help in the immediate future. Or use it to get two players who fill a need instead of one. This is a deep draft and the guy they want at 21 might be there at 27. So, why not move back and pick up a second round pick while they’re at it?
What I’m trying to say is that Presti is going to screw up every mock draft like he always does.
The Thunder draft a shooter in Round One
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Wherever they pick, I think Presti picks someone who can shoot the basketball. It’s been a long time since Presti drafted a shooter in the first round that actually suited up for the team. You have to go all the way back to James Harden in 2009. Maybe you could argue Reggie Jackson, who was a good shooter coming out of college, but that was still 2011.
The last six first round OKC picks who played for the team are Domantas Sabonis, Mitch McGary, Andre Roberson, Josh Huestis, Steven Adams, and Perry Jones. Steven Adams might be the best shooter in that group.
Presti finally break away from his “athletic or big or both” trend and gets Westbrook a much needed shooter in this draft.
Russell Westbrook won’t watch
This is the prediction I’m most confident in. I don’t know what he’ll be doing, but Russell Westbrook won’t be watching on Thursday.