NBA Mock Draft: Thunder Snag Shooter in Late Lottery

Oklahoma City lost a lottery tiebreaker to the Chicago Bulls on Monday afternoon, granting OKC the 12th-best odds for the top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

With the recent finale of college basketball, Monday's lottery tiebreakers and the end of the season for many teams in the NBA, draft coverage is beginning to heat up. Recently, Kyle Boone of CBS Sports released a mock draft that saw the Thunder select Kansas wing Gradey Dick with the No. 12 pick the 2023 Draft.

Dick has been a speculated target for Oklahoma City since the early stages of his lone season with the Jayhawks due to his ability to knock down shots from behind the 3-point line and his positional size. 

Despite being anointed a five-star recruit in high school, the Sunrise Christian Academy product wasn't seen as a lottery pick by many analysts entering his only season in Lawrence. Dick was able to consistently knock down shots and play solid defense to help raise his value into the lottery with some mock drafts slotting the Wichta, Kansas, native inside the top 10.

As a freshman, Dick averaged 14.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 44.2% from the field and 40.3% from beyond the arc. 

In Boone's prediction, the Toronto Raptors drafted fellow sharpshooter Jordan Hawkins with the No. 13 selection. The sophomore wing was the leader of the Connecticut Huskies' 2023 National Championship team, averaging 16.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.7 steals per contest while shooting 40.9% from the field and 38.8% from downtown. 

Like Dick, Hawkins is another solid shooter with good size, inciting thought that the 6-foot-5 shooting guard could be a good fit in OKC. While the Thunder are likely to receive the No. 12 pick in the draft on lottery night, there is serious thought that the team will be in the market to consolidate some of its future draft picks and move up from the 12th pick in the draft.

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