Ranking the Assets of the OKC Thunder Rebuild

As one of the more popular current rebuilds in the NBA right now, the Oklahoma City Thunder have garnered plenty of attention with pick acquisition, bold draft selection and, most importantly and recently, their winning streak.

There’s lots of hype around the unprecedented number of first round picks general manager Sam Presti has acquired, but the vision is starting to come to fruition in a very tangible way on-court.

Here are Inside The Thunder’s rankings for the current OKC Thunder rebuild assets:

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The crown jewel of Oklahoma City’s rebuild, there’s no doubt the team would be in a very different hunt (french phenom Victor Wembanyama) right now without Gilgeous-Alexander.

He was the centerpiece of the monumental trade made by Presti all those years ago and the vision is now coming to fruition via an MVP-caliber season (30.5 points, 5.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks).

At just 24-years-old, he’s one of the best guards in the entire NBA and the catalyst for any and all success Oklahoma City will have in years to come.

It took Paul George to fetch Gilgeous-Alexander the first time around, but it's safe to say that investment has paid off ten-fold for OKC. Not to mention the picks that came along, too (we'll get to you later, Jalen Williams). There's no telling what SGA's value has blossomed to now.

2. Chet Holmgren

A potentially hot take with Josh Giddey’s improved play of late, Holmgren still has the potential to be a monumental force for OKC.

While it doesn’t have a perfect track record, the second overall slot has a decent history of spitting out multiple time All-Stars, and with innate length and feel for the game, Holmgren fits that mold well.

He'll miss his entire first season due to injury, but make no mistake: Holmgren is one of, if not the biggest factor in OKC getting back to contention.

3. Josh Giddey

Drafted sixth overall the year before Holmgren, Giddey has exceeded any and all expectations so far.

Averaging 17.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game since Dec. 1, Giddey’s been playing like a bona fide All-Star for a nice stretch now and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. He had a lackluster start to the season, but has seemingly figured out NBA pacing and found his groove via his 6-foot-8 frame.

Putting Giddey at No. 3 here is no slight. If he truly is Oklahoma City’s third-best asset on paper, the Thunder are going to be in great, great position.

4. Jalen Williams

Drafted twelfth overall last summer, Williams has burst onto the scene as an immediate impact contributor for Oklahoma City.

He’s fit seamlessly in both the offensive and defensive system, and only stands to get better as time goes on. After working through a slow start due to injury, Williams has essentially been the Thunder’s third-most used creator, and the stats back it up.

Despite being OKC’s third lottery selection in 2022, Williams is going to play a huge part in this team’s future.

5. Luguentz Dort

I was tempted to slot Ousmane Dieng here due to potential, but I'm not sure most NBA front offices view the Thunder's 2022 swing pick in the same light as those around OKC.

With that in mind, nearly every team wants more help on the perimeter and Dort offers plenty of that in the ways of defense.

For now, he’s a defensive stalwart and pretty inefficient scorer — things that don’t lend themselves perfectly to regular season ball. But come playoff time, everyone’s going to want a Dort.

Honorable mentions: Ousmane Dieng, Kenrich Williams, one million first round selections.

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