OKC Thunder should package picks to move into top four of NBA Draft

The results from the NBA Draft Lottery are in with the OKC Thunder receiving the sixth pick. Houston remained in their protected range (second) which means OKC will get the Heat’s 18th pick. In all, the Thunder will make three picks in the first round also holding the Celtics 16th pick obtained in the Kemba Walker trade.

Three years ago the league reformatted the NBA Draft Lottery with the goal of improving competitive incentives and making the odds more level. Since its inception, at least one higher-seeded team has made the leap up the board.

The two teams who improved this year were the Cavaliers and Raptors from a projected fifth and seventh position to third and fourth respectively. That meant two teams had to fall down the board and unfortunately, the Thunder and Magic were those squads. Teams seeded eighth through 14th stayed in the same position which also meant the Wolves pick will be conveyed to the Warriors and the Bulls pick to the Magic.

Clearly, the hope of all the lottery teams was to win the top spot in order to select generational talent, Cade Cunningham. Experts agree the 6’8″ Oklahoma State guard is the definitive number one pick.

The 2021 class is an extremely deep class, projected to be similar to LeBron James’s (2003) and Michael Jordan’s (1984) draft classes that each produced several franchise-changing prospects.

In fact, the top four to five prospects are all highly coveted and the overall depth of talent in the class is the best in years.

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OKC Thunder deal to move up NBA Draft ladder wouldn’t be surprising

Obviously, the hope was OKC could move up the draft order or remain in the top five. Dropping to sixth is disappointing but it doesn’t mean there aren’t quality prospects to choose from in that range. Scottie Barnes and Johnthan Kuminga are the most likely options but I’ll get into that in a later article.

To be fair, these prospects don’t come with guarantees.  Workouts, interviews, and film assessments all play a role in the draft exercise. Yet, again, there is no way to know 100 percent a top prospect will have a long productive career. Greg Oden is the perfect example of how well-laid plans can quickly turn to dust.

The past weekend proved how a prospect can obtain All-NBA and All-Defense status but have severe limitations. That player (Ben Simmons) was so fearful of being sent to the line where he was struggling that he refused to shoot. In the seven-game series, Simmons took three total shots in the final frame with two of those in Game 1.

Nor is it a given the projected top five picks will be the players selected in that order or that the teams picking won’t be enticed to move down. There is already scuttlebutt that the Cavaliers are interested in moving down the board in order to land a proven asset.

This revelation comes immediately on the heels of the draft and there will be many more conversations occurring. Raptors GM Bobby Webster said they’ll look at every option including trading down.

Although it’s unlikely the Pistons or Rockets would be as open to shifting out of the top two draft spots, stranger things have happened. For example, the Hawks and Mavericks swapping their picks for Trae Young and Luka Doncic weren’t expected. Or Danny Ainge pulling out all the stops to get the 76ers to trade picks so they could select Markelle Fultz and Boston could take Jayson Tatum.

Cunningham has long been considered the definitive top pick but already there are hints Detroit might prefer Jalen Green. Let’s also not forget the man running the show in Detroit is former OKC Thunder executive Troy Weaver.

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The year OKC drafted Russell Westbrook he was selected much higher than projected with Weaver being the one behind that selection. That he has such a strong relationship with Sam Presti also helps as the Thunder magician will have the best knowledge of what buttons to push.

The Thunder VP  tipped his hat at his end-of-season presser stating the franchise strategy is to always be aggressive on draft night. After the NBA Draft Lottery, the VP spoke to Oklahoma News 4 and took the slide to sixth in stride. He reiterated the goal of building a sustainable, great team.

Read into that what you will, but this is the same guy who drafted Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka all in short order. His ability to pull off trades and pick draft talent is elite. What makes the situation more compelling is the draft capital he has in hand.

While the OKC Thunder could stick with their six picks on July 29th it’s not a given. The fact Presti is holding 38 draft picks over the next seven years (18 potential first-round picks) means he’ll enter Draft night with the most draft currency, ample cap space, and a talent for getting things done.

If you’re a betting man/woman – I’d put good money on the potential for the OKC Thunder to create a compelling package and move up to nab one of those top four picks.