OKC Thunder NBA Draft prospect profile: The gifted big man – Evan Mobley

Pro Comparison:

The players who the experts cite as comparisons for Mobley are Chris Bosh, Christian Wood, Pau Gasol, and Bam Adebayo. That’s a pretty heady group of big men who all possess star talent with offensive prowess and in Bam’s case two-way ability.

Typically the comparison list offers a high end and low end but I was hard-pressed to find any low-end comparisons for Mobley. That alone should have his drafting team giddy over his ceiling and potential future promise.

OKC Thunder fit:

Rarely does a big man enter the draft that already has pick-and-roll defensive ability and when it does happen they are typically a defensive specialist. That’s what makes Mobley such an exciting young talent.

Okay- so he’s not a 3-point threat and may never be but if we consider players like Ayton and Adebayo they have become integral to the Suns and Heat success and neither is a 3-point threat.

In terms of the OKC Thunder, Sam Presti would need to trade up to grab Mobley, and based on the movement at the top of the draft it’s likely they would need to make that deal with either the Cavaliers or Raptors. That seems unlikely unless Presti is willing to part with an asset and it’s doubtful either Cleveland or Toronto would accept someone who isn’t in the protected core (Luguentz Dort, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, or Aleksej Pokusevski).

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After Dort’s run with team Canada you just know Nick Nurse would want either Dort or SGA to cough up their fourth pick and as good as I think Mobley will be I’m not sure it’s worth that price.

Cleveland would also want something in return and likely to jettison Sexton. Presti might be able to move him but again, I’m not sure it’s worth it given Sexton is best suited as a Sixth Man but believes he’s a starting superstar.

Factor in Mobley would fit the current Raptors like a glove and it’s hard to believe Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster would be keen to swap picks. Ujiri is known for his ability to find diamonds later in the draft and is keen on Scottie Barnes — BUT — that was prior to the shakeup at the top of the draft that could make Mobley available at fourth.

The Trojan is a big who works in most rosters and would tick off several boxes Presti likes particularly defensively but I’m just not convinced the Thunder VP would make the same deal for Mobley that he would for Cunningham or Green.