NBA Mock Draft: OKC Thunder Take Gamble on Duke Guard
In a recent mock draft, Oklahoma City grabbed a player who could help bolster the bench next season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have positioned themselves strongly for the upcoming NBA Playoffs.
With 53 wins on the season, they’ve been one of the league’s more exciting teams, playing a high-octane, two-way game led by the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and more.
Even more, they have an ever-looming cache of future draft picks waiting to be cashed in on, some of which will be used in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft.
Bleacher Report recently released its latest mock draft, with the Thunder selected Duke guard Jared McCain at No. 12 via the Rockets’ pick.
McCain has long been a highly-touted prospect, but at 6-foot-3, there were questions about how immediately good he would be, and how he would slot into the Blue Devils’ lineup.
Thirty six starts and a one elite eight run later, most questions have been answered: McCain can play.
The former five-star leans more towards being a combo than true point or shooting guard. He scored 14.3 points per game on the season, shooting 46% overall and a blistering 41% on 5.8 3-pointer per game. Even more, he stuffed the stat sheet in other areas, too, adding 5.0 rebounds, 1.1 steals while getting to the line a decent bit and cashing in on 89% of his free throws.
McCain was able to play freely with Duke, toggling between the lead ball-handler and off-ball shot-maker with ease. With Oklahoma City, he’d likely do the same in a bench role, handling the ball some but primarily knocking down open catch-and-shoot looks created by Williams, Giddey and more.
It would be an intriguing selection for the Thunder, who are currently focused on a matchup with the Kings at 7 p.m. tonight in Oklahoma City.
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