The Oklahoma City Thunder are in need of a talent infusion at the forward position. Armed with the 12th pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, general manager Sam Presti evaluates the available prospects. The best option appears to be a Santa Clara forward who dominates the analytical models and is flying up draft boards.
Is the year 2022, or 2026? The answer is both.
In 2022, the Thunder drafted Santa Clara forward Jalen Williams with the 12th overall pick. In 2026, they should use that same 12th overall pick to draft Santa Clara forward Allen Graves, a player who can serve as the perfect backup and replacement for J-Dub and solve one of the Thunder's glaring weaknesses.
The Thunder have a need - but not a desperate one
Despite all the angst swirling around the Thunder, some from fans and much from national media ready to capitalize on drama, the Thunder will go into next year as something akin to co-favorites to win it all. They have the two-time reigning MVP, a deep and talented roster, and more draft picks to further improve the team.
They lost in seven games to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs primarily because the Spurs are really good, and the Thunder were the more injured team. Particularly, Jalen Williams missed much of the season battling hamstring injuries, and then missed most of the Western Conference Finals battling the same.
The Thunder simply didn't have a clear backup option to step up in his stead. Their team is primarily built around guards and centers; it's hard to complain, but the only two true forwards on the roster are the Williams Jalen and Kenrich. Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins are shooting guards who often slide up, but they are not power forwards.
The Thunder primarily went double-big, elevating Jaylin Williams, or asked Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace to defend opposing forwards. That can work, but the Thunder's biggest need at the moment is to add a two-way forward who can provide depth behind Williams and have the talent level to step up into a larger role when he is unavailable.
Finding a replacement for Williams who can defend, pass and score like he can is probably a fool's errand; he is an All-NBA player and an All-Defense talent. Finding someone who can be impactful and perhaps has the upside to become another Thunder draft steal? That is possible.
And their best shot at such a pick is to draft Allen Graves at No. 12. They struck gold looking to Santa Clara once; they can do so again.
Allen Graves is the player they need
The 6'8" Graves excels at creating extra possessions for his team, something the Thunder love as an organization. He steals everything in sight, is a capable secondary rim protector, crashes the offensive glass and rarely turns it over.
Offensively, he can operate with the ball in his hands on the perimeter and in the post, but he is more often (and most effectively) deployed off the ball, where his cutting to the rim or into open space for catch-and-shoot looks leaps off the tape.
Defensively, he is everywhere, and offensively, he is exactly where he needs to be. His basketball IQ is off the charts, and he is a locked-in competitor. He lacks elite athleticism and isn't a volume shooter, but he could fill a role perfectly on the Thunder with very real upside to be something special.
The Thunder hope that Jalen Williams will return fully healthy next season and put the injuries behind him. If he doesn't, however, they need a replacement ready to go. Drafting Allen Graves is the best way to solve that problem.
It's time to draft like it's Twenty-Twenty-Two.
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