What if the OKC Thunder nailed every draft pick since 2011?
By Rylan Stiles
The OKC Thunder reached on Josh Huestis in the first round as Nikola Jokic is selected at pick 41.
The 2014 NBA Draft is likely the worst in the Sam Presti era. Owning two first-round picks in the back end of the first round, the OKC Thunder selected at pick 21 and 29, neither time grabbing Nikola Jokic.
It is impossible to begrudge a team for not selecting Jokic in the first round of that draft class; this is just an unreal developmental story for the multi-time MVP in Denver. However, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in particular, had the easiest pathway in the first round to reach on Jokic, which makes not doing so sting a bit more.
The OKC Thunder selected Josh Huestis with the 29th pick in the NBA Draft. An undeserving slot for his college production at Stanford, and everyone knew it, including Huestis. That is why his agent pitched the idea of the Thunder selecting him in the first round but signing him to their D-League team as an Americanized draft-and-stash.
Ultimately, Huestis never panned out, and the experiment has never been seen again as the NBA ended that loophole fairly quickly. The point remains that while it is impossible to second-guess most teams for not grabbing Jokic in the first round, selecting a draft and stash player and not being Jokic in hindsight seems unbelievable.
Clint Capela or Jerami Grant in Mitch McGary’s spot and Nikola Jokic in place of Huestis would have made this draft a slam dunk for the Oklahoma City Thunder.