Thunder Select an Older Prospect in Keyontae Johnson in Second Round
The Oklahoma City Thunder traded pick No. 37 to the Denver Nuggets as the NBA Finals were still underway. This left this with one singular second-round selection, that being pick No. 50.
In the first round, the Thunder traded up two spots and selected Cason Wallace out of Kentucky at pick No. 10. In the trade, the assumed Davis Bertans' contract and sent pick No. 12 to the Mavericks. They had one last chance to complement their first round pick with a late-draft pick.
Oklahoma City has a history of drafting personalities. With their No. 50 overall pick, they did just that, with Keyontae Johnson out of Kansas State.
While he had a health scare while he was playing at Florida, the promising prospect climbed his way back to playing form and transferred to Kansas State to bet on himself, and it paid off. His resiliency led to a 17.4 points per game season in his fifth season playing college basketball.
The 23-year-old could provide the ideal second round pick for the Thunder. He's an older player that gets the job done. Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing in at 239 pounds, Johnson is a big wing. He plays physical, using every bit of his size, and has a 7-foot wingspan.
Johnson is a motor-type player. He's got heart and will give everything to each and every game. He uses his frame to play defense and will do the dirty work when grabbing rebounds. He will be able to provide fuel to the second unit to make sure the Thunder don't let off when the Thunder's starting unit needs rest.
Though Johnson isn't the most incredible offensive player, he can knock down an open three when given time and space, and doesn't let his offensive performance impact his effort level on any given game. He's a capable scorer, though, and can even do so off the dribble.
At the next level, the swingman forward will use his frame and energy to make an impact on both ends of the floor, making it hard not to use him in a bench role. If he's going to provide a consistent impact, he'll easily find his way into consistent minutes, even if in small portions.
All things considered, the Thunder nailed the ideal late-draft prospect. He's an older player that will have to give his all to carve out a career for himself, and Johnson is capable of that.
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