Thunderous Intentions
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OKC Thunder: 2 draft prospects worth trading up for

By Mark Nilon

Mar 12, 2021; Kansas City, MO, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Cade Cunningham (2) takes the court against the Baylor Bears during the first half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 12, 2021; Kansas City, MO, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Cade Cunningham (2) takes the court against the Baylor Bears during the first half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports /
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Should the OKC Thunder fall outside of the top-3 in this upcoming draft, we at TI believe there are two players they should consider trading up for

When it comes to the path in which the OKC Thunder plan on taking during this upcoming NBA Draft, there are a multitude of routes in which Sam Presti and co. could wind up taking.

Already done with the heavy lifting in regard to their franchise rebuild, as they seem to have their building block in place in third-year guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the front office has the luxury of being experimental when it comes to their next steps in the process.

This coming offseason has a ton of potential for the Thunder, as they’ll be in possession of the most cap space in the entire league as well as be the rightful owners of a potential total of 3 first-round picks during the draft.

With this specific situation, should the team play their cards right, they could find themselves with a much improved overall roster come the 2021-22 season and, in turn, begin to embark on their journey back to relevancy.

Of course, this all starts with draft night, and who they wind up taking with their selections will determine a ton.

Last we saw, Oklahoma City fell to No. 2 overall in Bleacher Report’s most recent mock but, given their up-and-down tankjob this season, coupled with exterior factors such as other team’s success rates (or lack thereof), the team has also found themselves selecting in numerous other slots such as the fifth and even the seventh pick within the last several weeks.

While the belief is that the OKC Thunder still have a strong chance of nabbing a top-3 pick under their own volition, should they fall outside of this range, there is still a chance they can finagle their way to their prefered slot simply via trading up.

With the bevy of capital they have over the next several years (34 total picks through 2027), should Presti see a player that he believes will not be available once the franchise finds itself on the clock, he could easily work his way towards acquiring them.

Of all potential players selected within the top-3, we believe there are 2, in specific, that they should target:

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