Do the OKC Thunder have two of the three best 2022 NBA Draft prospects?

The Oklahoma City Thunder used the 2022 NBA Draft as the second draft in their rebuild. It was by far their most important one to date of this new era of OKC Thunder basketball. By the night’s end, Sam Presti had selected three new prospects in the NBA Draft Lottery. Headlined by the second overall pick, Chet Holmgren, it was the 12th overall pick Jalen Williams who stole the show. Those two pair with project prospect Ousmane Dieng, and there is a high percentage shot we look back on this draft as a franchise-altering one.

One year out, we are already redrafting the 2022 Draft. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic took the time to redraft the 2022 NBA Draft (Subscription required) and revealed that the Thunder stole the show on draft night. This is on the heels of Jalen Williams being tabbed as a First-Team All-Rookie member.

The 2022 NBA Redraft reveals the OKC Thunder stole the show on draft night, getting two of the top three NBA Draft Prospects.

The Orlando Magic, even with Jalen Williams’ late-season serge, are very confident in their first-overall pick of Paolo Banchero. However, Jalen Williams did spring up ten slots to the 2nd overall pick (also owned by the OKC Thunder) in this redraft. Despite not playing a single minute this season, Vecenie writes that Chet Holmgren would still go in the top three, being selected third by the Houston Rockets, “I’m still all-in on Holmgren and debated slotting him in at No. 1 hereafter ranking him as my No. 1 player in the class pre-draft.” Vacenie writes.

The 11th-best rookie, according to Vacenie, where the Thunder originally drafted Ousmane Dieng, was AJ Griffin with the 12th pick, which was Jalen Williams to the OKC Thunder, Jalen Duren slots there one spot above where he was picked on draft night.

Ousmane Dieng “Would be 22 for me,” said Vacenie, who only redrafted the top-20 rookies. Rookies who leaped into the top 20 to slide Dieng down were Walker Kessler (9), Christian Braun (16), Jaden Hardy (17), and Andrew Nembhard (18).

Of note: Arkansas big man Jaylin Williams, who OKC selected at 34, jumped to number 23 in this ReDraft.

The OKC Thunder used four total picks in the 2022 NBA Draft, and even after a year to redraft these prospects, Sam Presti still walked away with four top-25 players. This includes two players drafted in the top-three in the do over.