Thunder Approaching Action-Packed Week in Chicago

A variety of events will be held in Chicago next week.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have their schedule booked.

Next week, the Thunder, along with the other 29 organizations around the league, will have their sights set on Chicago, Illinois.

As reported by the NBA, Chicago will stand as the epicenter for the pre-draft process next week. For the Thunder, who finished the season 24-58, honing in on these evaluations are more crucial than ever – and with three events spanning across the week – they won’t want to miss a thing.

Here’s a breakdown for their upcoming week:

NBA G League Elite Camp (May 16-17)

David Banks / USA Today

The NBA G League Elite Camp, hosted on Monday and Tuesday, will provide a platform for 44 prospects across various situations to pump and their draft stock. The Elite Camp, which traditionally hosts late-second round and undrafted prospects, will provide scouts measurements, shooting results, and combine drills for participants.

In addition to traditional drills, all players will compete in two 5-on-5 matchups across the two days of play.

The NBA G League Elite Camp is a prime source for players to become stock risers. Following play, front office members will select a group of competitors to advance to the NBA Draft Combine.

NBA Draft Lottery (May 17)

Patrick Gorski / USA Today

For an assortment of franchises, the NBA Draft Lottery has been on the calendar for months. Tuesday, these franchises will finally get some offseason answers.

On Tuesday, May 17, the NBA Draft Lottery will air live on ESPN at 7 pm CST. In this half-hour programming, the full order of the 2022 NBA Draft will be revealed.

With the Oklahoma City Thunder finishing fourth in lottery standings for the second season in a row, they’ll be hoping to obtain the top choice in this year’s draft. They’ll hold a 12.5% chance of the top pick with their own choice, and a 2.5% slate of fetching the first pick via the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers’ pick, which was part of the Paul George trade, is projected to fall at Pick No. 12.

NBA Draft Combine (May 18-20)

David Banks / USA Today

Once the draft board has been settled, the pre-draft returns on Wednesday as the NBA Draft Combine will take center stage. The NBA Draft Combine will conduct measurements, shooting drills, and combine drills for the 76 invitees to the event. That number will rise following the G League Camp.

To bode with drills, invitees will also compete in 5-on-5 scrimmages.

Created in 1947, the NBA Draft Combine has been revolutionized over the years. Now, the event has become one of the biggest sources for draft prospects to make a name for themselves. In recent years, the Draft Combine has been the grounds for multiple first-round risers, headlined by Bones Hyland and Keon Johnson.

With the Oklahoma City Thunder carrying four picks within the top 34 selections, the NBA Draft Combine will be one of the focal points of the scouting process.

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