The 2025 NBA Draft lottery is officially in the books and the Oklahoma City Thunder now appear to have a clear path toward selecting Georgetown Hoyas center Thomas Sorber. The stars are beginning to align and teams are suddenly looking more likely to trade up or down based on their official placement.
That should benefit Oklahoma City more than any other franchise as a team with two first-round draft picks and the ability to move up without depleting its resources.
Whether it transpires at No. 15 or higher, Sorber appears to be the perfect prospect for the Thunder to draft and develop. He's a 19-year-old colossus along the interior who stands at 6'9.25" without shoes and 262 pounds while boasting a gigantic 7'6" wingspan and a 9'1" standing reach.
Those physical attributes could be enough to push him up draft boards, but the Thunder should remain optimistic about their ability to land him—however that manifests.
As far as what he brings to the table, Sorber is a throwback big who fit the Georgetown center archetype to perfection. He likes to get his hands dirty along the interior, posts up and scores over both shoulders, and has the tools to become a true defensive anchor.
If the Thunder's current postseason series against the Denver Nuggets has proven anything, it's that developing talent at center will be essential to legitimizing their championship dreams.
Thunder must select Thomas Sorber at No. 15—or trade up
Oklahoma City's success in 2024-25 hasn't been entirely dependent on its interior play, but investing in Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein is paying dividends in the postseason. Their presence on the defensive end of the floor has been essential against the likes of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Nikola Jokic.
Hartenstein could be a free agent as soon as 2026, however, and Oklahoma City's most cost-efficient bet for finding an ideal replacement could be adding Sorber via the NBA Draft.
Sorber finished the 2024-25 season with averages of 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.7 offensive boards, 2.4 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. Those numbers fairly reflect his ability to dominate the interior on both ends of the floor, creating second chances, finishing in traffic, and defensively acing his assignments.
On a Thunder team that has the luxury of developing him at a steady pace, Sorber could translate those abilities to the NBA and become a starting-caliber center.
Thomas Sorber could be Thunder's long-term starting center
Concerns exist over Sorber's athleticism, but the positive far outweighs the negative at this stage. He's a handful when he's on offense, utilizing his strength and skill to post up, face up, and set screens at all three levels.
Sorber is by no means ready to shoot the three-ball in the NBA, but it's worth noting that he buried 72.4 percent of his free throws and attempted 37 triples—thus showing a willingness to learn.
The signature skill that Sorber possesses is his ability to create ideal angles to score along the interior. He not only posts players up, but knows how to move without the ball to permit ideal entry passes that improve the odds of success when he goes up to shoot.
When that decision is made, Sorber has shown the ability to finish above the rim with power and below it with touch and finesse.
Furthermore, Sorber has active hands on the defensive end of the floor. That strength should save him from some of the issues that bigs cut from his cloth typically encounter in the NBA, as his length and activity will be problematic for those who encounter him.
Sorber will need to learn to defend switches along the perimeter, but he can already force turnovers, block shots, and rebound at a high level.
For the Thunder, those attributes should be appealing given the state of the Western Conference. Jokic, Domantas Sabonis, and Alperen Sengun are examples of All-Star centers who know how to throw their weight around down low, and the list of players who thrive along the interior is growing every season.
If Oklahoma City hopes to maintain the perfect balance in its rotation, then adding and developing Sorber would go a long way toward achieving that essential goal.