OKC Thunder General Manager Sam Presti has become notorious for his rebuilding strategy over the last half-decade.
For those who may be unaware, said strategy has been obtaining as many draft picks as possible through whatever means necessary.
Over the last five NBA drafts alone, Oklahoma City has selected different 16 players.
Now that the rebuilding phase is over, it's time to look back and grade each selection.
The criteria valued in these grades involve notable players drafted after, performance relative to draft position, contributions to the team, and the assets they brought back in a future trade.
Re-Grading every NBA Draft pick made by Thunder since 2020
2020 NBA Draft
No. 17) Aleksej Pokusevski
Aleksej Pokusevski was the first pick in the new era of Thunder basketball and was certainly a tell for future choices.
The, then, 18-year-old was viewed as a project player who skyrocketed up draft boards in the weeks leading up to the draft thanks to his impressive athleticism and versatility for someone of his size (7-feet tall with a 7-foot-3 wingspan).
In a three-team trade, the Thunder gave up veteran guard Ricky Rubio, along with the draft picks that became Jaden McDaniels and Immanuel Quickley to get Pokusevski.
All three outgoing players went on to have multiple productive seasons in the following years, while the incoming Serbian didn't make it through his rookie contract in Loud City.
A first-round pick, especially one selected as high as 17th overall, should make it longer than this in the league.
Hindsight is always 20/20, but the Thunder could've selected guys like Tyrese Maxey, Payton Pritchard, or even Desmond Bane over Pokusevski.
Although he showed some flashes and the occasional highlight play, the wildcard never fully contributed to winning basketball during his Thunder days.
During the rebuilding seasons, he would flip back and forth between the G-League and varsity team. It seemed as though Oklahoma City just couldn't figure out what his role was, as he'd play point guard for one stint and center the next.
Pokusevski showed versatility in multiple areas but didn't really excel in any one.
Currently out of the league, the forward was waived by the Thunder and then spent a brief stint with the Charlotte Hornets before being waived once again last season.
For the time being, it looks like this will be his last NBA stop, as he never quite hit his stride in the league. His most memorable Thunder moments will most likely go down as his theatrical outfits which included Hawaiian shirts and fanny picks.
Grade: D-
No. 34) Théo Maledon
Theo Maledon was taken as a 19-year-old combo guard out of France in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft.
The youngster was the first of many players to be dubbed a "tank commander" in the Thunder rebuilding era.
Had this piece been written after the conclusion of his rookie year, this pick may be graded in the B+ to A- range.
During his debut campaign, Maledon averaged 10.1 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.2 rebounds while setting a, then, team rookie record with 105 three-pointers made in the 2020-21 season.
The future looked bright for the guard. Unfortunately, however, it would only go downhill from there.
The following season he saw a decline in nearly every major counting stat, partially due to newcomers Tre Mann and Josh Giddey eating up his playing time and usage rate.
Maledon was traded to Houston and cut before the start of the 2022-23 season.
He bounced around the NBA for a few years before landing on his current team, Lyon-Villeurbanne, with fellow former Thunder player Andre Roberson.
Like Pokusevski, Maledon did not make it through his rookie contract with OKC, though that's more common for second-round picks so the grade is slightly less harsh.
Still, that doesn't mean that his selection was worth it.
Other notable guards drafted after him include Tre Jones, Isaiah Joe, and Sam Merrill.
Also similar to Pokusevski, Maledon didn't contribute much to the era of winning Thunder basketball, nor was he used in a trade to bring in winning pieces.
His future overseas looks bright, but he won't be too fondly remembered for his Thunder days.
Grade: D+
No. 37) Vit Krejci
Vit Krejci spent the least amount of time with the Thunder out of the first three members of this list, yet he's the only one still currently in the NBA.
Krejci was selected by OKC in the second round as a draft-and-stash out of Czechia.
He first stepped onto the court with the Thunder during the 2021-22 season. Krejci fit the mold of a typical Thunder draft pick in the coming years, standing at 6-foot-8 with point guard ball skills and great positional size.
The wing showcased potential to be a future rotation piece during the conclusion of his rookie season, in which he averaged over 30 minutes in seven of the last eight games.
Krejci was traded to Atlanta in the offseason in a move for Oklahoma City to acquire financial assets. This move, although minor, is one that Sam Presti may wish he could take back.
After a of couple years with the Hawks, the Czechian has proved to be a valuable rotation piece in Atlanta, a role that he couldn't seem to reach out in Oklahoma City.
This hurts, because the draft-day selection wasn't the problem. Krejci was actually a good pick, but the Thunder moved on before he fully developed.
The talent was there with Krejci, just not with the boys in blue.
Same as Maledon, the guards drafted after include Tre Jones, Isaiah Joe, and Sam Merrill.
Grade: D+
2021 NBA Draft
No. 6) Josh Giddey
Despite being drafted to what many had considered an unexpected landing spot, Josh Giddey had one of the more memorable rookie seasons in Thunder history.
The 6-foot-8 guard out of Australia had an extremely versatile skillset that led him to impressive all-around averages of 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game.
This strong statistical play led to Giddey landing on the 2022 All-Rookie Second Team.
He then would follow up his first year with an even stronger sophomore campaign, improving both his field goal and three-point percentage by roughly 6.0 percent. At the time, it seemed that Giddey was a future star and a building block for the franchise.
Despite his stellar play, fans started to question his fit next to All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, especially considering it was quite clear that Giddey struggled without the ball in his hands while his lack of efficient shooting and defensive struggles continued to raise eyebrows.
There's a strong argument to be made that the former lottery pick didn't ultimately contribute to winning basketball but, rather, harmed it.
It eventually led to Giddey being played off the floor in the biggest series of the Thunder season during the 2024 Western Conference Semifinals.
In the end, it would prove to be his last stretch of games donning a Thunder uniform, as he was shipped to Chicago in a trade that sent Alex Caruso back to OKC.
Wings drafted after Giddey include the heavily mocked-to-OKC Franz Wagner, along with Moses Moody, and Trey Murphy.
Perhaps the draft grade can be improved if the Caruso acquisition proves key to a future Championship, but, for now, it will stay at a C.
Grade: C
No. 18) Tre Mann
Tre Mann was drafted out of Florida with the makeup of a certified bucket-getter. Shifty footwork combined with endless dribble packages allowed him to score from all areas on the court.
The combo guard averaged 10.4 points per game on 36.0 shooting from deep during his rookie season, which was capped off by a 35-point performance against the Celtics.
The first chapter in Mann's career was finished, and things looked to be heading up from here. However, a story seen before would begin.
As the Thunder grew more competitive in the 2022-23 season, Mann's minutes were cut by roughly 5.0 per game, dipping to just 17.7.
This diminished role wasn't the most promising sign for his future with the team and was indicative of what was to come.
The following season saw Mann appear in just 13 games with the Thunder. At the deadline, he was traded to Charlotte in part of a package for OKC to acquire veteran Gordon Hayward.
In the end, the forward would have a minuscule impact on the team during his time in the Sooner State, and Mann blossomed into a well-known scoring punch for the Hornets.
While the guard provided entertainment during bleak times in the Oklahoma City rebuild, his contributions to success were little to none.
Notable players drafted after Mann include Jalen Johnson, Cam Thomas, and Herb Jones.
Grade: C-
No. 32) Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
The Villanova product was taken in the early second round by Presti via a draft day trade with the Knicks.
New York sent Robinson-Earl to OKC in exchange for Miles McBride and Rokas Jokubaitis.
This makes the Thunder selection a bit disappointing, as McBride broke out in the 2023-24 season while Robinson-Earl was no longer with the Thunder. Along with McBride, Herb Jones and Ayo Dosunmu are among the notables drafted after his selection.
During his two seasons in OKC, the former McDonalds All-American logged quality minutes as one of the most consistent bigs on the roster.
Notching his first career start just four games into his rookie year, the quasi-center was thrown into the fire.
Over the next two seasons, he would often find himself as coach Mark Daigneault's default option as the team's pivot. Throughout his tenure with the Thunder, he averaged 7.2 points and 4.9 rebounds in just under 21 minutes per game.
Unfortunately, his lack of size (6-foot-8) and rim protection made it apparent that he would not be the long-term answer at center. When the Thunder had made the Play-In Tournament back in 2023, he would log just five minutes in their two games played.
Soon after their elimination, Robinson-Earl would be traded to Houston for a swap of future second-round picks. He joins the list of recent OKC draftees who will be remembered by fans as an "Oh, that guy!" during the rebuilding years who couldn't quite cut it when it came time to win.
Grade: C-
No. 55) Aaron Wiggins
Aaron Wiggins goes down as perhaps the most impressive hidden gem uncovered by Presti so far in his tenure running the show.
Taken with one of the last picks in the draft, his impact has far exceeded expectations.
He began the first two months of his rookie season revolving in and out of the G League, but, after a 24-point breakout game against the Pelicans, Wiggins took off and never looked back.
Wiggins has remained an impactful rotation piece since arriving in Oklahoma City, averaging 7.4 points per game on 50.5 percent shooting from the field and 39.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
The swingman has become the perfect "glue guy" for the Thunder, as he's been able to slot into whatever role he's asked to take on. Some nights he'll log 30 minutes while in others he'll play under 10.
His tremendous cutting, efficient shooting, and acrobatic finishing allow him to play both with and without the ball. Wiggins is the first member of this list to stick with OKC for their entire rookie contract and is already locked in for several more after inking a long-term extension this past summer.
While Wiggins may not necessarily be an All-Star level talent, he still receives the A+ grade due to how late in the draft he was selected.
Nobody taken in the five picks after him has come close to the level of production of puts forth on a regular basis. It's rare for a late second-round pick to have this much of an impact on their team, but Wiggins is special.
Grade: A+
2022 NBA Draft
No. 2) Chet Holmgren
The 7-foot unicorn continues the streak of home-run picks for Oklahoma City, this time as the second overall pick.
There were heavy debates between draft analysts over whether Presti should select Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, or Jabari Smith Jr heading into draft night. With Banchero going first to Orlando, it's fair to say that Holmgren was the correct pick.
The only similar-level player drafted after him is his teammate Jalen Williams, who OKC took at pick 12.
The former Gonzaga big missed the entirety of what was supposed to be his rookie season with a Lisfranc injury suffered during his play in the Crawsover Pro-Am game that summer.
As a result, he first took the floor with the Thunder in the 2023-24 season, and his impact was immediate, while serving as a key factor in the club's leap from 40 to 57 wins.
Holmgren had one of the strongest rookie seasons in recent history, falling just short in the Rookie of the Year race to Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama.
Holmgren managed to play all 82 games in his rookie season while averaging 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game.
What's troublesome, however, is that the big man is only one for three on healthy seasons. He's already missed a full season of his career and, currently, he's been sidelined for roughly a month after suffering an in-game hip injury.
Holmgren's talent is without question worthy of an A+ grade, but that's where the bar was set for him. The All-Defensive-caliber big needs to stay on the court for his impact to be fully felt.
Grade: A
No. 11) Ousmane Dieng
Ousmane Dieng was selected as an 18-year-old out of the NBL of Australia. It seemed as if the forward was taken with a similar mindset as the Pokusevski selection a few years prior.
Dieng stood at a lanky 6-foot-10 with ball skills and solid athleticism. The vision was for him to grow as a project player into an eventual contributor, but that hasn't happened yet.
Three seasons into his career, he still hasn't hit the 100-game mark with the Thunder. Instead, he's spent time bouncing back and forth between the main roster and the G-League squad while averaging 4.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on 40.7 percent shooting from the field throughout.
A big reason for his lack of playing time with the Thunder has been largely due to on-court inconsistency.
Dieng hasn't quite been able to string together many successful three-point shooting periods and is an average defender at best. His current reputation is probably best known as the guy who can be used in a trade package to obtain a win-now veteran.
Dieng is still only 21 years old and has plenty of time to find his place in the NBA, but one would guess it isn't going to happen in OKC. This miss hurts more for the Thunder as forwards Tari Eason, Ochai Agbaji, and Christian Braun were all drafted after him and are outperforming him exponentially.
Grade: D
No. 12) Jalen Williams
Jalen Williams was taken immediately after Dieng, and their careers couldn't have panned out any differently.
The 6-foot-6 guard out of Santa Clara was thought to be a bit of a reach on draft day, but boy did he prove those predictions wrong.
Williams earned two Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards along with finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting.
He's only continued to improve since that season, as he's legitimately now thrust into the All-Star conversation during this 2024-25 campaign.
Through 25 games this season, he's averaged 21.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.0 steals, and just shy of a block while shooting a highly efficient 50.0 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from deep.
Williams has proved himself to be one of the most versatile players in the association, let alone on the Thunder.
He often operates as the play initiator and point guard on offense, though was forced to start a stretch of games at center due to injuries.
Part of what makes this an A+ pick is not only his elite talent but the fact that there's currently not a better player taken after him. There's a good chance he becomes just the second player in the 2022 draft to make an All-Star game.
Grade: A+
No. 34) Jaylin Williams
The first thing fans noticed about Jaylin Williams was the fact that OKC now rostered both him and Jalen Williams. Many memes and jokes were made about the two, but Jaylin soon proved to be more than just a funny reference.
The 6-foot-8 big out of Arkansas was quick to make an impact as a key piece within a lackluster Thunder center rotation. Williams was everything that OKC had hoped for with the Robinson-Earl selection a year prior.
His agility and footspeed allowed him to be a smaller but switchable center on defense to complement the team's scheme.
On offense, he was the team's best screen-setter, with a 40.7 percent shooting clip from behind the arc to form a nice pick-and-pop partner with the guards.
Despite only playing 18 minutes per game in his rookie season, Williams started both Play-In Tournament games, with a season-defining performance in the win over New Orleans where he dropped 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists to go along with a team-high +20 plus-minus.
Williams's playing time dipped the following year, as Holmgren came back from injury and took the starting job.
Despite this, however, his impact has remained the same. He's averaged about 4.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game through the first two seasons of his career, and he's carved out a role as a quality backup big for the Thunder.
Perhaps what he's most known for is his post-game interview antics.
Williams joins his teammates during their interviews with sideline reporter Nick Gallo and has turned those segments into must-see television.
Williams is yet to see the floor in the 2024-25 season due to a hamstring injury. Notables drafted after him include Max Christie, Jaden Hardy and Vince Williams Jr., but there's an argument to be made that Jaylin has had the most impact out of those four.
Snagging a consistent backup center in the second round is great bang for your buck.
Grade: B+
2023 NBA Draft
No. 10) Cason Wallace
Cason Wallace made his way to Oklahoma City through a draft day trade that saw himself and Davis Bertans be traded from Dallas in exchange for fellow-rookie Dereck Lively II.
The move puzzled many at the time, for obtaining another big man was on the fanbases' radar and the guard rotation was already stacked. However, once again, Presti proved the move to be correct as Wallace fit right in.
While he may not have the star potential of guys drafted right after him such as Lively and Gradey Dick, he's played his role in OKC perfectly.
His perimeter defense has been truly elite while his 58.1 true shooting percentage shows his offensive game has been a perfect compliment to the blossoming stars around him.
Of course, like many rookies, Wallace struggled come playoff time during last year's run.
With shooting splits dropping all the way down to 39.0/32.1/50.0, he looked a bit lost sometimes on the offensive end. These woes have continued into his sophomore season as his true shooting percentage has dropped by roughly ten.
Despite the offensive slump, his efforts on the less-glamorous side have leveled up to an All-Defensive level, earning a minutes increase of up to 26.7 per game.
Wallace may never make an All-NBA team, but it looks like he'll have a long and safe career in the association as a lockdown defender.
Grade: A-
No. 50) Keyontae Johnson
The former Kansas State Wildcat entered the league as a five-year collegiate player, something not often sought after by NBA executives.
Despite being the 50 pick with low expectations, he failed to even meet those.
Only appearing in nine games with the main roster, Keyontae Johnson averaged 1.2 points and 1.1 rebounds per game.
Interestingly enough, he spent most of his time with the OKC Blue where he averaged nearly 19.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. His most memorable moments in Oklahoma City will most likely be the role he played in the OKC Blue's 2024 championship run, where he scored 14 points in the series-clinching win over the Maine Celtics.
The reason that the Johnson pick hurts so much is due to the two successful wings drafted immediately after him.
Picks 51 and 52 in the 2022 draft were forwards Jalen Wilson and Toumani Camara. Both have carved out consistent roles on their respective teams as 3-and-D wings that certainly fit the mold of a Thunder player.
Missing on Johnson when these two were there for the taking stings, and is a pick Presti surely won't forget.
Grade: F
2024 NBA Draft
No. 12) Nikola Topic
The 6-foot-6 guard out of Serbia was looked upon by draft analysts as one of the top prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft.
That was until he sustained a torn ACL that ultimately saw his stock plummet, as most lottery teams can't afford to have a pick miss significant time their rookie season.
Fortunately, the Thunder aren't like most lottery teams, as they selected him with the Houston Rockets' 12 overall pick they attained in the Chris Paul blockbuster back in 2019.
Many Thunder fans were surprised by the pick considering the team's postseason success the previous year. It was assumed Sam Presti would target a win-now player like Dalton Knecht or Tristan Da Silva.
Instead, he selected a player who was viewed more as a project and who wouldn't be able to help the team compete right away. But while he hasn't touched the floor yet, Topic's strengths of playmaking and self-creation can certainly help bolster a Thunder bench that has lacked those elements to start the season.
Similar to Holmgren, the jury on Topic will have to wait another year before deciding it's verdict.
Grade: N/A
No. 26) Dillon Jones
To counter the project pick of Topic, the Thunder followed it up with the win-now mindset selection of 23-year-old Dillon Jones.
The former Weber State star filled the stat sheets during his college days, averaging 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in his senior season.
This versatility was intriguing enough for Oklahoma City to take a shot on him in the late first round.
It was a lingering question as to whether Jones would operate as a guard, forward, center, or all of the above. So far, the question is unanswered.
Through the first 21 games of his career, he's averaging 2.4 points and 2.0 rebounds on just 34.5 percent shooting from the field.
Despite being an experienced collegiate player, he often looks lost on the court and unready to help out the squad this year. Instead of meeting the expectations of a potential rotational piece, he's found himself in trade rumors and down in the G-League.
A painful piece of this puzzle is that wings Ryan Dunn and Jonathan Mogbo were drafted shortly after him. These two are both contributing consistent minutes to their teams as do-it-all defenders and certainly look more NBA-ready than Jones has. NBA-ready
We're only a few months into the rookie's career, but his time with the Thunder has been a rocky start at best.
Grade: D-
No. 37) Ajay Mitchell
The combo guard out of UC Santa Barbara has been a pleasant surprise for Oklahoma City to begin his rookie season. Despite being in his first season, Ajay Mitchell has been a steady presence as the floor general of the second unit.
His on-court leadership combined with defensive tenacity has helped him carve out a role in the already loaded Thunder guard rotation. Overall, he's had one of the most positive impacts of any rookie on both sides of the ball this season.
Mitchell has been lighting it up from range as well, sitting at third among all rookies in three-point percentage (minimum 20 attempts) with a 41.9 percent clip.
Mitchell's career path seems to be heading down the same road as 2021 second-round pick Aaron Wiggins. He's receiving inconsistent minutes but is playing consistent basketball during them.
This presence as a rookie has led to plenty of speculation that he'll have his contract extended before the end of his rookie year.
Mitchell slots in as the second-best round-two draft pick among this rookie class, only behind Jaylen Wells, who was taken one pick after him.
While he's not had a massive role compared to past Thunder rookies, he's playing about as well as one could ask in his limited time.
Grade: B+