Thunder Draft: Value Prospects in the Second Round

With the No. 34 pick in this month's draft, the Thunder could find real value.

Over the past several years, the Oklahoma City Thunder have been great at finding underrated talent in the draft. In the second round and with undrafted free agents, there's been several prospects that have been great finds.

In the 2022 NBA Draft, the Thunder will have an early second rounder at pick No. 34 overall. While it's much harder to find stars in this range, OKC will have the opportunity to add a building block and rotation piece for the future.

Who would be worth taking with the No. 34 pick for Oklahoma City?

Dalen Terry (Arizona)

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A prospect that played great on the biggest stage last season, Terry is a guy who could end up being a huge steal in this class. He's got excellent size for a modern NBA guard and plays with a ton of energy.

While Terry doesn't project to be an elite scorer, he is a great playmaker and can generate good looks for others. In a backup guard role, he could ultimately be a good rotational piece for a team like Oklahoma City down the road.

Max Christie (Michigan State)

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Following a successful high school career, Christie entered college with extremely high expectations. A freshman at Michigan State, he started the season as a projected lottery pick. With good size and length at 6-foot-6, Christie provides versatility as a guard or wing at the next level. 

Christie was a solid 3-point shooter in his lone college season, but could certainly be better. The 19-year-old's mechanics and upside on the perimeter would suggest he could ultimately become an elite shooter at the next level. Christie would fit best on a team that has the time to allow him to develop slowly.

Jake LaRavia (Wake Forest)

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If LaRavia slips into the second round, he provides real value as a shooter. Especially on a Thunder team that was one of the worst in the NBA last season from beyond the arc, the Wake Forest prospect fills a big need.

The 6-foot-8 forward shot 37.1% from deep in his college career and projects to be a quality shooter at the next level. While he isn't the greatest athlete, LaRavia does have size and has proven to be a solid defender. 

Peyton Watson (UCLA)

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Watson came off the bench in every game as a freshman at UCLA, but still could be the first player from his team taken in the 2022 NBA Draft. The 3-point shot still needs work, but the tools are there for him to become a quality offensive player on the perimeter. 

It's hard to evaluate Watson, as he didn't get enough consistent minutes to truly see what he could do in an expanded role. However, the upside is certainly there even if it takes a season or two playing in the G League upon being drafted. On a team like the Thunder, Watson could end up being a legitimate contributor in a few years. 

Josh Minott (Memphis)

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Minott was often overshadowed last season due to playing alongside a potential lottery pick in Jalen Duren. Known for his defense, the 6-foot-8 wing projects to be impactful on that end of the floor early in his career. It's the offense that needs a ton of work.

One of the worst shooters in this class, Minott will need to spent a lot of time evolving into a 3-point shooter. In his lone college season at Memphis, he knocked down less than 15% of his attempts from deep. In fact, he rarely shot from beyond the arc, proving he's not comfortable shooting from distance. If that shot is able to come around, he'll be well worth a second rounder in this draft.

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