NBA Mock Draft: Thunder Take Chance on Pure Scorer
The 2021 NBA Draft is nearly upon us.
With the draft looming Thursday, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Conner released his latest mock draft, with Oklahoma City taking a chance on Uconn’s James Bouknight with the sixth overall selection.
A natural scorer with tons of athleticism, Bouknight averaged 19.0 points and 1.9 assists on 30 percent 3-point shooting at Uconn.
O’Conner named Donovan Mitchell, CJ McCollum and Jordan Clarkson at potential NBA comparisons.
Even more than that, his fit next to budding star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be an ideal fit.
“What a wonderful fit Bouknight would be with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander,” O’Conner wrote. “SGA is more of the methodical, deceptive scorer. Bouknight has more speed and athleticism. He has risen throughout the pre-draft process, showing off an improved jump shot. If the results carry over to the NBA, getting to the basket could get even easier for him."
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O’Conner also cited that despite recent connections to Bouknight at No. 6, Oklahoma City is actively trying to move up in the draft and likely to target Cunningham, Green or Mobley.
With assets acquired over several season’s time, Presti is sure to be making a few phone call to teams within the top-5.
The NBA Draft is on Thursday, July 29 at 7:00 p.m.
