The OKC Thunder are always trying to stay one step ahead of the competition. With this, it should be of no surprise that the club is already actively trying to keep tabs on a rising 2027 NBA Draft prospect a year early.
According to ESPN's Olgun Uluc, some Oklahoma City representatives are out in Bendigo, Australia, to watch promising two-guard Dash Daniels take part in the 2026 NBL Blitz.
The brother of Dyson Daniels, rising-star wing for the Atlanta Hawks, Dash has proven himself to be an electrifying defensive talent, thanks to his impressive length (6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan) and innate athleticism.
Despite his remarkable prowess on the less glamorous side of the ball, the 18-year-old still has plenty of work to do to hone his craft on the offensive end, where he most recently was found posting just 4.1 points in 33 outings with Melbourne United.
What's worth noting, however, is that he did cash in on his long-range shots at a solid 37.5 percent clip, and spent this offseason working with former 15-year NBA veteran and highly reliable 3&D wing, Wesley Matthews, to sharpen his ball handling and shooting skills.
Heading into this season, Daniels is stressing that he has "a lot more in my bag than I've shown," and, clearly, the Thunder, along with multiple other NBA teams, are trying to get an early glimpse at what he may be ready to unleash on the hardwood.
Thunder set up to be super active come the 2027 NBA Draft
As has been the case for the past several draft cycles now, 2027 is currently set up in a way that could leave the Thunder incredibly active on draft night.
Right now, Oklahoma City holds the rights to three potential picks, all of which are of first-round value.
The most valuable of the bunch is the pick-swap they landed from the Clippers a few years back by way of their involvement in the 2023 trade that shipped James Harden from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, while the other two are protected picks, top five and 16, owed by the Nuggets and Spurs, respectively.
Considering they only have 12 people currently set to be on the roster for the 2027-28 campaign, the timing of these three picks couldn't be better.
Of course, with the likelihood of Cason Wallace being extended to a multi-year deal at some point in the not-too-distant future, perhaps only two will actually be used, with the third simply being dealt outbound in some sort of future-focused package.
Regardless, while we still may be roughly a year out from the draft, it's evident that Sam Presti's wheeling and dealing ways throughout the years have once again set the Thunder up for continued draft success.
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