Woj coins OKC Thunder ‘wild card’ with threat to move up NBA Draft

We’re in countdown mode to the 2021 NBA Draft with less than a week until the big event on Thursday, July 29th. The OKC Thunder are in a unique position with 10 percent of the picks to make including three in each round.

So much can happen between now and Thursday with Sam Presti and his staff having more decisions to make than most teams. Intentions have been looking at who the franchise could select with the 6th, 16th, 18th, 34th, 36th, and 55th picks via our annual prospect profiles.

This past season’s tanking efforts didn’t produce the top pick and the highly coveted Cade Cunningham. Nor did it result in landing a pick within the top four — where most analysts deemed four generational talents were slated.

Woj calls OKC Thunder draft night wild card with threat to move up

As is typical, the closer it gets to Draft night the rumor mill heats up with the prospect of trades and swaps occurring. Many of the rumors will center on the OKC Thunder because of their multiple picks and draft capital Presti has amassed. Orlando and Golden State also have multiple picks but no other franchise can match the sheer number of picks OKC has over the next seven seasons.

One industry insider who believes Sam Presti will live up to his reputation of being unpredictable is Adrian Wojnarowski. On his recent podcast, Woj implied if Presti was hankering for a specific prospect he might wait until this week to make the move to get them.

"The one thing though to me and it’s going to be a wild card not just in this draft but probably the next few drafts is Oklahoma City… If there is a guy they are dying for not just picks this year but future picks and you know perhaps one of their young players or somebody who you might have interest in they can get up.I don’t believe they have tried yet to move up into that top three but if you’re going to make that call you might make it as we get into this week. And if all of a sudden let’s say they decide we love Evan Mobley at USC and we’re going to call Cleveland and knock on that door and we’re going to offer them our three picks in this draft or a future one. I just think the Thunder are a threat to do that and move up because of just the inordinate amount of picks they have."

This comment by Woj certainly isn’t out in left field because he’s shown a propensity to do precisely this in previous drafts. Case in point, last season reports of the Thunder trying to move up to get LaMelo Ball didn’t surface until November 10th (the draft was November 18th).

Typically, a lot of movement happens on the actual night of the draft which happened last year with Aleksej Pokusevski as Presti made the draft night deal to move up for the youngster.

Although Thunder Nation will be hoping any deal would center around Cade Cunningham it seems less likely. Most teams who possess the top draft pick don’t typically trade down. Especially when it’s a prospect who has been projected to be the top pick all season.

The last time that happened it involved the first (Celtics) and third-seeded teams (76ers) swapping positions to orchestrate the Markelle Fultz and Jayson Tatum selections — and the 76ers sure paid the price.

Still, there is plenty of banter surrounding the Cavaliers’ desire to get out from under Collin Sexton. Given Mobley is likely to be the top prospect on the board at three and since they already have Jarrett Allen they may be open to bringing in a haul of picks from OKC who could then select Mobley.

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• 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
• Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
• Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder

Adding more layers to this idea of Presti moving up are the copious rumors surrounding the Raptors who’ve been both linked to rumors of trading up or down in the draft.

With the fourth pick, Toronto is projected to select point guard Jalen Suggs. But, more frequently the Raptors are said to be considering selecting Scottie Barnes (who the Thunder also are keenly interested in).

Couple that with reports the Raptors are keen to add another existing high-end asset and the prospect of accumulating draft capital courtesy of Presti’s draft closet begins to make more sense.

The other option would involve the OKC Thunder swapping positions with the Magic — but only if they believe they’ll lose out on the player they really want and in this scenario, it’s less likely Presti would have to give as much up.

The bottom line is there will be copious rumors leaking over the next few days but it’s unlikely we’ll know anything definitively until Thursday night when Adam Silver steps to the podium and says — “there’s been a trade.”