Opinion: Thunder Still in Position to Take Best Available at 2022 Draft

Despite a slew of useable guards with few bigs on the roster, the Oklahoma City Thunder should still be in position to take the best available player at the 2022 NBA Draft in a few short months.

Even if that means drafting another guard.

Oklahoma City currently has the fourth and twelfth best lottery odds for the upcoming draft. Most NBA Draft experts have Jaden Ivey as the fourth-best prospect available, with several guards lingering around the later lottery.

Needless to say, there’s a decent chance the Thunder could find themselves in position to draft another guard on top of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and even Tre Mann.

And they should.

The Thunder, while closer to competing than the Orlando and Houston’s of the world, still aren’t in position to pass on the best players available.

Settling for players like Keegan Murray and passing on Ivey’s, or even better, would be a troubling move for nearly any franchise.

Even more, Oklahoma City has opted towards there-guard lineups for several seasons now, meaning players like Ivey, or even Dyson Daniels or Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis, could plug in seamlessly.

Of course, general Manager Sam Presti isn’t likely to keep the entire slate of guards that he has now longterm, meaning trades could of course happen.

For now, OKC looks to the lottery to improve their draft standing on May 17.

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