Cody Williams Declares for NBA Draft, Spotted in Oklahoma City's Game 1 Win
The younger brother of the OKC Thunder's star forward Jalen Williams has attended games since his freshman season ended, coinciding with his 2024 NBA Draft commitment.
Amidst a jam-packed crowd of over 18,000 roaring Oklahoma City Thunder fans at Game 1 of its first round series against the New Orleans Pelicans, a familiar face could be spotted cheering on his older brother in his playoff debut.
That face was Cody Williams — the brother of Jalen Williams and newly declared 2024 NBA Draft prospect.
The 19-year-old announced his commitment just a day after the game, entering the draft class as the No. 10 ranked prospect on ESPN's Top 100 list. With a 6-foot-8 frame and 7-foot-1 wingspan, he's considered one of the strongest defenders in the class.
Williams spent just one season with the Colorado Buffaloes before entering the draft, averaging 11.9 points and three rebounds in 28.4 minutes per game. His offensive output wasn't high volume, but he averaged an efficient 58.8% from the field and 41.5% from 3-point range. He also received a Pac-12 All-Freshman nomination for his efforts.
With the recent announcement and the obvious direct ties with the Thunder, the idea of Williams paired alongside his brother looks like a legitimate possibility if the cards fall right on draft night.
Oklahoma City is currently slotted with the No. 12 pick in the lottery via the Houston Rockets, just two spots below Williams' projected spot. He could easily fall a couple of spots to the Thunder, but if not, trading up is always option with the pile of young talent and draft capital that it possesses.
It would be an ideal pairing for not only Cody, but Jalen too. Cody would receive direct guidance from his brother as he enters the league, a great person to learn from not only from their relationship, but his talent and place on the current Oklahoma City roster. Playing with your brother is an extremely rare opportunity at the NBA level, and something that Jalen would certainly welcome.
Ever since Colorado's season ended, Cody has been spotted around Paycom Center watching his brother help lead the Thunder to No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Although it can only be speculated, talks between Cody and Oklahoma City have almost certainly be made as draft season sneaks its way closer, with some clear mutual interest.
The idea can only be speculated until the playoffs pass and the off-season gets underway, but for now, expect Cody to continue to be amongst the Oklahoma City crowd as long as the Thunder keep winning.
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