While the Oklahoma City Thunder (41-18) continue to fight for the first seed as they’re set to make their first playoff run since 2020, they’ve been frequently mentioned in 2024 NBA mock drafts.
The Thunder are rich with draft assets throughout the rest of the decade due to several trades they made in their rebuild. OKC owns four 2024 first-round picks, but the two worst of the bunch will be rerouted to the Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers.
The Thunder had 2024 draft picks to shed due to their surplus of young talent already on the roster. In all likelihood, they’ll have a pair of lottery picks from the Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz.
The Rockets’ pick is top-four protected and the Jazz’s pick is top-10 protected. Considering where they are in the standings, the Thunder will likely have both picks.
With that said, here’s a look at who draft experts have going to OKC (with the Houston and Utah picks) in the latest wave of mock drafts. The projected pick slot varies based on the date of each mock’s publication.
No. 9 pick (via Rockets): Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report: Kyle Filipowski (7-foot center, 248 pounds, 20 years old)
“Adding Kyle Filipowski would give the Oklahoma City Thunder the option to play bigger up front. He’s best suited as a stretch 4, given his shooting range and ability to slide defensively around the perimeter. But the 7-footer could also serve as Chet Holmgren’s backup, as he’s blocking more shots this year and using his frame and strength more effectively around the basket.
Passing may have actually become his most advantageous positional skill, something else for the Thunder to think about if they ever consider shopping Josh Giddey.”
No. 11 pick (via Jazz): Devin Carter, Providence
Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report: Devin Carter (6-foot-3 guard, 195 pounds, 21 years old)
“Devin Carter could sway the Oklahoma City Thunder to forget about needs at No. 11. Always known for his signature defensive pressure and tough rebounding, he’s gradually evolved into an explosive shotmaker with the type of confidence and range that can translate to streak shooting and takeover scoring.
The Thunder typically don’t care about positions, and they wouldn’t with Carter, who can defend both backcourt spots, spot up or be used to play-make in ball-screen situations.”
No. 9 pick (via Rockets): Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, ESPN: Kyle Filipowski (7-foot center, 248 pounds, 20 years old)
No. 11 pick (via Jazz): Donovan Clingan, UConn
Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, ESPN: Donovan Clingan (7-foot-2 center, 280 pounds, 19 years old)
No. 10 pick (via Rockets): Tijane Salaun, France
Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation: Tijane Salaun (6-foot-8 forward, 212 pounds, 18 years old)
No. 11 pick (via Jazz): Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation: Kyle Filipowski (7-foot center, 248 pounds, 20 years old)
No. 10 pick (via Rockets): Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
David Cobb, CBS Sports: Dalton Knecht (6-foot-6 forward, 204 pounds, 22 years old)
“Knecht is one of the oldest players with lottery potential in recent memory after five years of college basketball. But he’s proven that he is an elite scorer at all three levels while playing for an excellent Tennessee team that has faced some of college basketball’s top opposition”
No. 11 pick (via Jazz): Kyle Filipowski, Duke
David Cobb, CBS Sports: Kyle Filipowski (7-foot center, 248 pounds, 20 years old)
“Filipowski’s offensive efficiency and rim protection have improved this season. He could have been a first-round pick last year. After another year of quality development, he’s undoubtedly a lottery-level talent in this class.”
No. 9 (via Rockets): Tijane Salaun, France
Bryan Kalbrosky, For The Win: Tijane Salaun (6-foot-8 forward, 212 pounds, 18 years old)
“At 6-foot-9 with a wingspan reportedly over 7-foot at just 18 years old, France offers another intriguing prospect with Tidjane Salaun. While he doesn’t have much of a jumper off the dribble yet, his ability to shoot off the catch in the top-tier French league makes him a prospect teams won’t want to ignore at this stage in his development process.”
No. 11 pick (via Jazz): Johnny Furphy, Kansas
Bryan Kalbrosky, For The Win: Johnny Furphy (6-foot-9 forward, 202 pounds, 19 years old)
“Australia’s Johnny Furphy is having a legitimately meteoric rise in recent weeks and in a class often characterized as relatively weak, the 6-foot-9 Kansas freshman will have to seriously consider striking while the iron is hot and declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft.
Since he moved into the starting lineup on Jan. 13, via Bart Torvik, he and Cody Williams are the only high-major freshmen to make 10 or more 3-pointers and 10 or more dunks.
His gravity is valuable as he has now forced a closeout on 31.8 percent of his touches, per Stats Perform, which is the best among all prospects tracked that made ESPN’s latest big board.”
No. 9 pick (via Rockets): Tijane Salaun, France
NBA Draft Room: Tijane Salaun (6-foot-8 forward, 212 pounds, 18 years old)
No. 12 pick (via Jazz): Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
NBA Draft Room: Dalton Knecht (6-foot-6 forward, 204 pounds, 22 years old)
No. 9 pick (via Rockets): Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Sam Vecenie, The Athletic: Kyle Filipowski (7-foot center, 248 pounds, 20 years old)
“Oklahoma City wants to be able to play with five shooters spaced along the 3-point line. The biggest impediment, typically, is that it’s hard to find centers who can dribble, pass and shoot with legitimate size for the position. In Filipowski, the Thunder would have an opportunity to get another player who fits that mold along with 2022’s No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren.”
No. 12 pick (via Jazz): Tijane Salaun, France
Sam Vecenie, The Athletic: Tijane Salaun (6-foot-8 forward, 212 pounds, 18 years old)
“Salaun is another one of those bigger wing/forward type of prospects who has perimeter skill. And if any team has invested more substantial resources in that player type in recent years than others, it’s Oklahoma City. Salaun fits the Thunder’s archetype of terrific positional size and skill.”
No. 9 pick (via Rockets): Rob Dillingham, Kentucky
Tankathon: Rob Dillingham (6-foot-3 guard, 176 pounds, 18 years old)
No. 11 pick (via Jazz): Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Tankathon: Kyle Filipowski (7-foot center, 248 pounds, 20 years old)
No. 10 pick (via Rockets): Tijane Salaun, France
Krysten Peek, Yahoo! Sports: Tijane Salaun (6-foot-8 forward, 212 pounds, 18 years old)
“The NBA comparison for Salaun is Denver Nuggets wing Michael Porter Jr. with how confidently he shoots from the outside, along with his length and skill set. He’s had a great season for Cholet, playing in France’s LNB-Pro A league and had one of his best games of the season in a win over the Metropolitans 92, scoring 20 points (4-for-8 from 3-point range) in only 20 minutes. Salaun will be one of the youngest players in this draft class, turning 19 in August, and has tremendous upside and potential at the NBA level.”
No. 11 pick (via Jazz): Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Krysten Peek, Yahoo! Sports: Kyle Filipowski (7-foot center, 248 pounds, 20 years old)
“Duke runs a lot of its offense through Filipowski and hunts for mismatch situations. He’s so good at sealing his defender and, when facing up, he favors his two-dribble spin move to finish on the right side of the basket. Filipowski’s biggest knock coming into his sophomore season was his 3-point shot, and he’s improved in that area, shooting 34.5%.”
