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Inside The Thunder

2027 NBA Mock Draft: OKC Thunder Add Three Prospects in First Round

Oklahoma City could leave the 2027 NBA Draft with three more first-round picks on the roster.
Mar 30, 2026; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Bruce Branch III (3) during the McDonalds All American Jam Fest at Millennium High School.
Mar 30, 2026; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Bruce Branch III (3) during the McDonalds All American Jam Fest at Millennium High School. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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The Oklahoma City Thunder have a chance to add even more talent following the 2026-27 season.

OKC is set to receive first-round picks from the LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs, giving Sam Presti and company plenty of opportunities to add more young players on cheaper contracts as the Thunder's current roster becomes more expensive.

While it seems unlikely that Oklahoma City makes three picks in the first round, here's a look at who Adam Finkelstein of CBS Sports slotted to Mark Daigneault's team in a recent mock draft.

No. 5: Bruce Branch III, BYU

Branch enters the 2026-27 college basketball season as one of the top prospects in the nation.

After the Cougars' roster featured No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa last season, head coach Kevin Young's team could have another top five pick in 2026-27. Branch's role will likely look different from Dybantsa's, though, as the two players have different skill sets.

Branch doesn't have the same ball handling or shot creation skills that Dybantsa boasted in college, but is a solid defender who could fill a role on the wing in Oklahoma City.

Coming out of high school, Branch was rated the No. 6 overall player and No. 2 small forward in the 2026 recruiting class by 247Sports.

No. 25: Dash Daniels, Australia

The younger brother of Atlanta Hawks' standout Dyson Daniels, Dash also offers impressive traits as a defender, which could make him an ideal fit with OKC.

This season with the South East Melboure Phoenix in the NBL, Daniels' offense has taken a step forward, which could boost his draft stock.

Through the first eight games of the 2026-27 season, Daniels is averaging 12.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and two assists per game while shooting 50.6% from the field and 35.3% from 3-point range.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 198 pounds, Daniels will turn 19-years-old in December.

No. 29: Rueben Chinyelu, Florida

Chinyelu would add to Oklahoma City's frontcourt rotation, giving the team another player with the potential to be a strong rebounder and defender in the NBA.

The Gators' standout averaged 10.9 points, 11.2 rebounds and a block per game while shooting 58.4% from 3-point range as a junior in 2025-26 before testing the 2026 NBA Draft waters. Chinyelu elected to play another season at Florida, but measured 6-foot-9-and-a-quarter without shoes and recorded a 7-foot-7-and-a-half wingspan.

Chinyelu started his career with a season at Washington State before transferring to Florida and becoming a regular starter on the Gators' 2025 national championship squad.

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Randall Sweet
RANDALL SWEET

Randall Sweet is a 2022 Oklahoma University graduate who has formerly written for the Norman Transcript and OU Daily. Randall also serves as the Communications Coordinator at Visit OKC.