The Oklahoma City Thunder could have two 2024 first-round picks in the lottery range. They own the Houston Rockets’ top-four protected pick and the Utah Jazz’s top-10 protected pick. The former looks more likely to come to OKC than the latter.
With the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament underway, the top prospects are in the spotlight as they draw national attention for their postseason performances.
Considering the Thunder will likely have at least one lottery pick, plenty of possible additions via the draft give fans a chance to see how they match up in high-stress situations.
One possibility is Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht. He finished with 24 points on 8-of-21 shooting, 3-of-7 from 3, six rebounds, five assists and two steals in 38 minutes in No. 2 Tennessee’s 82-75 win over No. 3 Creighton in the Sweet 16 on Friday.
The third-year player has enjoyed a career season at Tennessee after spending the last two years with small-school Northern Colorado. The 22-year-old is one of the older lottery prospects, but the negative connotation surrounding age has slowly faded.
Knecht’s best skill is outside shooting; he has been a high-volume 3-point shooter. He has averaged 21.1 points on 47% shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He’s shot 39.7% from 3 on 6.2 attempts.
The high-volume outside shooter would add another 3-point threat for the Thunder. Sharpshooters are always a demanded commodity in the NBA. He can provide OKC with spacing.
