Tankathon Mock Draft: Thunder Add Promising, Lengthy Forwards
With the 2022 NBA Draft on the horizon, the Thunder are again looking to add premier pieces to its growing core.
This season, Oklahoma City was fortunate to land a second lottery pick at the hands of the Pelicans, who ousted the Clippers in the Western Conference play-in game.
OKC currently holds the fourth and twelfth best odds, and will look to continue bolstering its roster in hopes for future success.
Here is a randomly generated mock draft presented via Tankathon:
The Result:
The Picks:
No. 1 Pistons: Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga
No. 2 Hornets: Paolo Banchero, Duke
No. 3 Magic: Jabari Smith Jr., Auburn
No. 4 Pelicans: Jaden Ivey, Purdue
No. 5 Rockets: Shaedon Sharpe, Kentucky
No. 6 Thunder: Keegan Murray, Iowa
No. 7 Pacers: Jalen Duren, Memphis
No. 8 Trail Blazers: Benedict Mathurin, Arizona
No. 9 Kings: AJ Griffin, Duke
No. 10 Spurs: Johnny Davis, Wisconsin
No. 11 Wizards: TyTy Washington, Kentucky
No. 12 Knicks: Jeremy Sochan, Baylor
No. 13 Thunder: Tari Eason, LSU
No. 14 Cavaliers: Dyson Daniels, G-League Ignite
The Rationale:
By far the unluckiest spin in out series so far, both of Oklahoma City’s lottery picks fell below their projections, leaving OKC with the sixth and thirteenth picks in the 2022 NBA Draft.
The top five picks are fairly clear cut. With Shaedon Sharpe’s stock trending, it wouldn’t be insane for Houston to fill out their backcourt with him. Budding star Jalen Green and Sharpe have several different wrinkles to their game that would allow them to flourish.
The Thunder leaving the draft with sharpshooting defender Keegan Murray likely isn’t ideal for fans, but is a solid piece in a less-than-ideal draft. Murray adds consistency and winning attributes to Oklahoma City, something fans can certainly get behind.
With the No. 13 pick, the Thunder could take a shot on LSU sixth man Tari Eason, who shows tremendous upside on both sides of the ball. At 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, Eason is a master at slicing through the lane. He shows upside on defense and has been able to space the floor a bit so far.
He would need some molding, but Eason packs every tool you’d want in an NBA star in one late-lotto shot.
With Murray and Eason, Oklahoma City would add tremendous length and defensive prowess onto their already guard heavy roster.
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