3 Favorite center prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft for the OKC Thunder

The OKC Thunder have the 12th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. With the Draft just hours away, we are breaking down our three favorite prospects at each position. Obviously, the forward spot has a lot of difference-makers for the Thunder, but guard and center might also offer some upside.

The Oklahoma City Thunder fanbase has not been this divided on a topic since Darius Bazley was traded back in March. Do the Thunder need a traditional big man next to 2nd overall pick Chet Holmgren? Should the OKC Thunder continue to lean into this position-less style that allows them to run. Are true big men just too easy to acquire to warrant using the 12th overall pick on a man in the middle? These questions will be answered in due time, but for now, Sam Presti is not being predictive.

Three favorite options for the center position in the 2023 NBA Draft for the OKC Thunder.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have always been a secretive organization. this year more than ever. In the past, they have telegraphed their thinking in drafts, namely with Aleksej Pokusevski in 2020. This year, perhaps, is their best smoke screen yet.

No one knows what Sam Presti is doing on Thursday. There are reports of Oklahoma City trading up, trading back, and staying put. At 12, we have heard multiple guards, multiple wings, and even a big man. So, for now, we just have to enjoy the ride.

In the meantime, there are three big men prospects that I think would rank high on the OKC Thunder’s list of bigs. Two points to be aware of: This is a weak big-man class, and I am not including generational star Victor Wembanyama who will be selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the first pick on Thursday night.

The OKC Thunder have been linked to Duke big man Dereck Lively II at pick 12, which gives mixed reviews.

With the 12th pick, the Oklahoma City Thunder have been tied to Dereck Lively, Kobe Bufkin, Bilal Coulibaly, Leonard Miller, and everyone else in the draft. It is smokescreen season! Though behind Victor Wembanyama, Dereck Lively is the best big man on the board.

Lively II stands 7’1 with a 7’7 wingspan. The 19-year-old averaged five points, as many rebounds, and two blocks per game while at Duke. The 230-pounder was not exactly a rebounding machine in college, but he still has potential on the glass.

The real appeal to Lively II is what he did not show in college. Back in his high school days, the big man was able to shoot from beyond the arc. While that disappeared in college, throughout the pre-draft process Lively II has displayed that shooting touch again in workouts. If Lively II can add floor-spacing ability, his ability to impact the game changes.

His ability to finish as a cutter and as a roll man in the pick-and-roll has to intrigue teams, as he turned in 1.525 points per possession on rolls (97th percentile) and 1.237 points per possession when cutting.

The downside to Lively II is despite his size. He is not the rebounding machine OKC fans crave; he is limited in his positional versatility (can he play the four alongside Chet? Or vice versa?). It will provide a fun wrinkle in Mark Daigneault’s back pocket to put two bigs on the floor together that thrive at protecting the rim.

While the OKC Thunder have signaled that Chet Holmgren is going to be their starting center moving forward, even going as far as to say they will not be predictive for what this core needs (having not seen them play a single game together, especially), there is at least something appealing about having the option to roll out true bigs on a team that lacks size.

Ultimately, there will be more value on the board in the top-12 than Lively II offers.

The OKC Thunder could trade up to the mid-late first to grab James Nnaji as a project big man who could be a valuable contributor. 

James Nnaji is one of my favorite prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft, coming in at 28 on my NBA Draft Big Board. Nnaji is a high-level on-ball defender, a shot-blocking menace who can gobble up rebounds and score inside. At 18, his stats do not pop, but if you put on his games, his impact leaps off the screen.

Working out with Serge Ibaka, Nnaji provides the best upside in this class at the big-man position. His lack of minutes suggests he should go to a team with a heavy investment in their G-League program. He has to clean up the edges of his game, such as screen setting, timing block attempts, and his passing prowess.

The worrying component of his game is his lack of shooting. He does not stroke it from beyond the arc and likely never will, based on his free throw percentage, which could land him on the bench during critical points of games.

Ultimately, James Nnaji is worth taking a chance on if the OKC Thunder want to move up the draft board. The organization would need to secure a late first-round pick or early second-rounder to grab Nnaji in the draft.

The OKC Thunder should consider Leonard Miller in the 2023 NBA Draft, who offers big ability in a wing package. 

The 6’10 wing offers a 7’2 wingspan while coming in at 213 pounds. Playing for the G-League Ignite, Miller bounced from power forward to center for Jason Hart. He brings elite athleticism to the table, jumping out of the gym, going the length of the court in three strides, and the ability to defend multiple positions with his size and athletic ability to recover on offensive players who might get past him.

Leonard Miller can finish at the rim with either hand, ranking in the 75th percentile in the entire G-League at the cup (66%), and on layups, he made 62% of his tries. Part of this is his ability to dominate in transition, ranking in the 90th percentile, with a perfect blend of ball-handling, passing, and filling the lanes to the rim.

The drawback to Leonard Miller is his three-point shooting stroke, only falling at a 32 percent clip, though Miller did shoot 79 percent at the line in the G-League to flash his upside. Working with Chip Engelland, as Josh Giddey and now Ousmane Dieng has done (among others), will help Miller if he lands in Bricktown.

Miller can guard every position on the floor, offering rim protection on the help side or in a pinch against grown men in the G-League, while his playmaking is eye-popping for his size. Offensively, he can thrive as a cutter and pick-and-roll partner, especially with a bump in three-point production.

Who are your favorite prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft? Let us know on Twitter.