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 Purdue center Zach Edey. He finished with 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting and 14 rebounds in 38 minutes in No. 1 Purdue’s 80-68 win over No. 5 Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 on Friday.
Edey is a polarizing figure as a draft prospect. After opting out of last year’s draft, he returned for his senior season at Purdue and put up monster numbers. In 35 games, he averaged 24.5 points on 62% shooting, 12.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. He led Purdue to a No. 1 seed.
The concern with the seven-foot-four, 300-pound big man is his mobility and slowness. If he can’t improve in those areas, he might not survive as an NBA center.
On the Thunder, Edey adds serious size to a small roster. He can play a traditional big-man role and pair with Chet Holmgren nicely. He ultimately might not fit with OKC due to his lack of playmaking.
