NBA Draft Speculation: OKC Thunder Could Target Pittsburgh Guard Carlton Carrington

Two recent reports from NBA Draft writers signal that Pittsburgh guard Carlton Carrington could be a target for Oklahoma City later this month.

Mar 14, 2024; Washington, D.C., USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Carlton Carrington (7) | Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

With the NBA Draft looming, there is still plenty of speculation about who the Oklahoma City Thunder will target when they are on the clock later this month.

Between Jared McCain, Tidjane Salaun and a few other prospects, there are a handful of names that have been common placements to OKC in mock drafts throughout this year's cycle. Recently, however, two draft analysts have added another name into the mix.

On Thursday, Jonathan Wasserman published a mock draft that included an interesting note about Pittsburgh freshman guard Carlton Carrington. While Carrington wasn't slotted to the Thunder, Wasserman did note that "Carrington has teams' attention in the late lottery," after a good showing at the NBA Combine.

With Oklahoma City set to pick at No. 12, they could be one of the teams Wasserman was alluding to in his piece.

Carrington, a former 4-star recruit from Baltimore, measured at nearly 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds without shoes. The ACC All-Freshman honoree also notched a 6-foot-8 wingspan and shot 80% from the left corner, 70% off the dribble and 52% on the move in shooting drills at the combine.

With decent size and length for the position in addition to showing potential as a shooter, Carrington seems to be quickly rising up draft boards. On Tuesday, Sam Vecine slotted the Panthers' standout at No. 12 to the Thunder in a mock draft.

In his lone season at Pitt, Carrington averaged 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 41.2% from the field on 11.7 attempts per game and 32.2% from 3-point range on 6.1 attempts per game.

In OKC, Carrington's role would likely require him to shoot the ball less, but would give him more open looks. Additionally, his skills as a passer would make him a good fit for Mark Daigneault's offense.

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