How Jett Howard Fits with the OKC Thunder

With the Oklahoma City Thunder entering the offseason, it’s officially time to time to switch gears to prospect evaluation mode.

And this year’s impending draft has plenty of players that can help bolster the OKC core.

No matter how unlikely it is Oklahoma City lands certain prospects, the Thunder Fit series will take a look at how they would fit with the current team’s configuration. And with a war chest of assets, you never know how far the front office could move up to acquire a player.

The next prospect up in the series is Michigan forward and surprise one-and-done Jett Howard.

Here’s how Howard could fit alongside the rest of the Thunder core:

Offense

Offensively is where Howard is going to make the most of his skillset. At 6-foot-8, he wowed at Michigan via his floor-stretching and ability to put the ball on the floor. He averaged 14.2 points per contest, shooting a fiery 37 percent on 7.3 three’s attempted per game.

Alongside premier playmakers in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams, Howard would be allowed to thrive as a catch-and-shoot piece, all while having his moderately tight handle and creation ability as a fall-back option.

Howard’s on-court decision-making likely has a ways to go before OKC could feel comfortable taking a swing on him, but tightening up his errors and shot selection would make him a real target for the team at twelfth overall.

Defense

The defensive side of the ball is a different story. Despite having some positional length, Howard has some major issues. He’s slow-footed and targeted often by guards, but doesn’t have enough oomph to size up, either.

While Oklahoma City already has a good defensive base in Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort and Chet Holmgren, the team has thrived on versatility. And Howard simply doesn’t offer much in the ways of two-way play.

With some development, he could likely become a wash defensively, but his ceiling won’t be high on that end of the court.

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