With the 2021 NBA Summer League complete, fans got an early hint of what to expect from the most recent additions to the league. For the OKC Thunder, the 2021 event was more about seeing how the new pieces fit, building chemistry, and pinpointing gaps within the roster.
Thunder Nation knew beforehand this SL roster wasn’t likely to be competing for the tournament title. Especially upon learning Aleksej Pokusevski wouldn’t participate. My cohort Rylan Stiles and I had visions of POKU making nightly highlight reels as he served up a bevy of jaw-dropping passes. Instead, we’ll have to wait until preseason to witness his magical dimes again.
That meant the focus would be on the four 2021 rookies but early injury setbacks shifted those expectations. Josh Giddey turned his ankle in the club’s opening match in Vegas sidelining him for the remainder of the tournament.
The other three rookies were on hand with each putting their imprint on games. Tre Mann played two matches prior to also being shut down. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins each took advantage of the full five games to display the skills that led to Sam Presti drafting them.
Summer League hints of huge OKC Thunder draft miscue as Sengun feasts
Yet it was the rookie that the OKC Thunder drafted for another club that arguably made the most impressive mark in Vegas. Hindsight is 20-20 and but trading this pick could very well be the greatest mistake Presti made this offseason. Many expected Presti would package some of the six picks (three in each round) to obtain a higher-ranked prospect.
What wasn’t expected was the team would trade the 16th pick to collect future picks. That player was Turkish big man Alperen Sengun and in return, OKC received the 2022 Pistons and 2023 Wizards first-round picks. At first glance, that seems like an incredible get for an unproven rookie but the protections on those picks are heavy and could take years to convey.
Rockets GM Rafael Stone had arguably the best overall performance in the 2021 draft and he clearly saw the value of 19-year-old Alperen Sengun. LIsted on my mock as a potential riser into the lottery I recall letting out a shriek at Presti’s turn of luck to nab Sengun at 16th. The joy quickly turned to angst as the trade was revealed.
Selecting and ranking prospects is never a simple task. Not every successful NCAA player naturally transitions to the pros. European players are even more difficult to project given film isn’t as accessible while interviews are often in another language. Even Luka Doncic who should’ve been the top draft pick wasn’t widely pegged as the best player.
TI readers are familiar with how giddy I was over Josh Giddey and my hopes for the OKC Thunder to target Sengun. And, I wasn’t alone in this assessment – – ESPN analyst, Kevin Pelton ranked Sengun first in his final mock draft ahead of Cade Cunningham. Notably, Pelton also was among the few who pegged Josh Giddey in the upper tier ranking him fifth.
Over the years there are numerous prospects sitting in my mock draft almanac that never rose to expectations. Still, I rarely get this excited about a player without a ton of preexisting hype. It simply wouldn’t have phased me if Presti took a big swing by packaging the 16th and 18th picks to move up into the lottery section for a player of Sengun’s ilk.