The 2023 NBA Draft is here! Just hours away from finding out the results of one of the most fun days of the year. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has commented that he will not be spoiling picks this draft to “focus on trades,” which might be a good omen for those who love trade chaos. The OKC Thunder have a ton of future draft ammo and cap space to take on bad contracts if they want to jump into the potential chaos.
Sam Presti has made a draft day trade each year since 2019, and that trend should continue tonight. Some moves have been small, others huge, but Presti has quite the streak to uphold in a few hours. Here are some names to watch for if the OKC Thunder jumps back into the first round.
Could the OKC Thunder trade back into the first round and leave the 2023 NBA Draft with two first-round picks?
For the life of this draft cycle, the talk has mainly centered around the idea that the Oklahoma City Thunder could either trade up in the first round of the draft as initially reported or ideas of the franchise trading back in the first round. However, what if Sam Presti elects to trade back into the first round? He did this last year to get all the way up to pick 11 out of thin air and grab Ousmane Dieng, who he circled since Dieng was 16 years old and has the assets to do it again.
While it might not be buying an additional lottery pick, the OKC Thunder could certainly pick up an extra first-round pick. But if they elect that route, who should they pick?