Thunder Draft Rewind: Sam Presti (and the Rest of the League) Rue Key Misses in 2014
The Oklahoma City Thunder took a chance on a pair of prospects in the 20’s during the 2014 NBA Draft.
Entering with just two picks, OKC stood pat and Sam Presti drafted Mitch McGary and Josh Huestis with the 21st and 29th picks in the first round respectively.
McGary initially showed promise in Oklahoma City. During his rookie season, he averaged 6.3 points per game on 53.3 percent shooting from the field. The 6-foot-10 product of Michigan also was a decent rebounder, gobbling up 5.2 rebounds per game. The franchise hoped that if he could make strides on the defensive end of the floor, he might be able to develop into a solid role player for the Thunder.
Read more Thunder Draft Rewind:
But due to injury struggles, McGary only appeared in 32 games during his rookie season for the Thunder.
He wouldn’t get a chance to grow into the role Presti had envisioned for him, however, as issues that occurred off the court ended his career in the NBA.
Huestis was a raw prospect out of Stanford, and the Thunder mainly employed him as a defensive stopper throughout the 2017-18 season. Appearing in seven games total through his first two seasons with the franchise, Huestis saw action in 69 games during his third season in the league.
Ultimately, Huestis’ play wasn’t enough to earn him a second contract with OKC, as the Thunder let him walk in free agency after the 2018 season.
While it’s hard to fault Presti for taking two swings at raw talents late in the first round, everyone drafting late in the first round will be remembered for the talent they passed up on.
Current MVP Nikola Jokic fell to the second round, along with Spencer Dinwiddie and Jerami Grant, who eventually ended up in Oklahoma City via trade.
