2024 NBA Draft: Will the OKC Thunder Select Another Adept Outside Shooter?

It's easy to see how Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City Thunder have fostered a connection through the draft year after year. Targeting like-minded, team-oriented players who provide valuable two-way impact, this organization has strategically selected their previous prospects to their benefit.

The Thunder have hit the nail on the head in aiming for players who hold great value defensively but also have extensive offensive upside as well. But in one aspect specifically, Presti and co. have been flawless -- and that's perimeter shooting.

Over the course of the last three drafts, Presti and Oklahoma City have acquired or retained six players throughout the years. Josh Giddey and Aaron Wiggins in 2021, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams in 2022 and Cason Wallace in 2023, each of these names provided significant impact throughout Oklahoma City's best season since 2013-14 -- whether they were picked in the high lottery or even in the back half of the second round.

But, throughout this past season, three of those names have comprised the best 3-point shooting in their respective draft class. Wiggins was the best third-year 3-point shooter in the entire league this season in terms of percentage, shooting 49.2% on nearly five attempts per game. Jalen Williams was the best outside shooter as a sophomore, sniping 42.7% of his shots from beyond the arc. And lastly, Wallace had the highest outside shooting percentage among all rookies 41.9% on the season.

Presti's ability to strike efficiently on a multitude of archetypes and traits draft after draft is something to evaluate. Into the draft this June, he'll likely look for those same abilities in a prospect that meshes well and seamlessly integrates into the Thunder's lineup.

A couple of prospects to monitor include Duke's Jared McCain and Colorado's Cody Williams.

McCain, though not fitting the mold of a lengthy, defensively adept athlete like much of Oklahoma City's lineup, could be an avenue for Presti to take as a dynamic outside shooter to further fortify the Thunder's 3-point approach, as well as diversify it. A lot of Oklahoma City's 3-point success comes from off the catch outside of a couple of players, but McCain's shooting presence off the dribble, in transition or in movement could be another threat to their arsenal.

For Williams, the younger brother of Jalen Williams, he'll be more of a project -- but his upside as an outside shooter has the potential to be somewhat comparable to his brother's. Only shooting just over 1.5 long-distance attempts in his 24 games with the Buffaloes, that small sample on 41.5% is enough for Chip Engelland to develop into a 3-point contributor for this team in time.

To name a couple others, Baylor's Ja'Kobe Walter and Duke's Kyle Filipowski could also be viable options -- but with Presti, his intentions are always uncertain to the naked eye. Come late June, his game plan could know no bounds.

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