2026 NBA Mock Draft: OKC Thunder Add Two Young College Prospects

The Oklahoma City Thunder have one of the NBA's younger rosters, but there will still be changes coming soon in OKC.

With an arsenal of talented role players, the team will be forced to move on from at least a few pieces of the Thunder's title squad, as Oklahoma City won't be able to finance its current roster.

The Thunder have consistently added young players through the NBA Draft to supplement this depth, though, and should be prepared to replace whoever the team decides to part ways with. Nikola Topic, Thomas Sorber, Jared McCain, Ajay Mitchell are among the Thunder's intriguing first and second-year players.

This summer, OKC has the chance to add even more depth, as the Thunder are set to receive a pair of first-round picks in the 2026 class. In a recent mock draft from Sam Vecenie and Bryce Simon of The Athletic and the Game Theory podcast, Oklahoma City landed a pair of young intiguing prospects.

At No. 11, Simons paired Kentucky forward Jayden Quaintance with Oklahoma City, giving Sam Presti and company another defensive player with unique upside.

Still just 18-years-old, the sophomore has appeared in only four games since tearing his ACL in early 2025 as a freshman at Arizona State. After transferring to Ketucky over the offseason, Quaintance is averaging 5 points, 5 rebounds while shooting 57.1% from the field.

While the former five-star prospect may not have very impressive stats Quaitance's most tantalizing skill is his defensive upside. Listed taller than 6-foot-10 and 255 pounds, the sophomore has impressive lateral quickness for a player of his size and stature.

Quaintance's unique blend of size, length and athleticism make him the perfect fit for an OKC team that has developed an identity on defense. Additionally, the Thunder don't appear to shy away from selecting players who are coming back from injury, as Nikola Topic tore his ACL ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft.

At No. 18, Vecenie paired Alabama freshman Amari Allen with Oklahoma City.

The former four-star recruit has missed time due to injury this year, but has been a key contributor for the Crimson Tide when on the floor. In 26 games, Allen is averaging 12.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 46.1% from the field and 38.5% from deep.

Listed at 6-foot-8 and 205 pounds, Allen would give OKC another versatile defender who could guard on the perimeter or the interior, depending on the matchup. Additionally, Allen would add another rebounding presence to the Thunder's roster.

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