NBA Mock Draft: Thunder Take Big Upside Swing

The 2023 NBA Draft is just one day away, meaning teams are putting final touches on their boards. Although they’ll look to move both up and down in the order, the Oklahoma City Thunder currently own the No. 12 overall pick in Thursday’s draft with yet another opportunity to add to the core of the team. The late lottery is generally a great place to find talent in recent history, but who could OKC be targeting?

The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie recently released a mock draft for the 2023 class with just a few days until the event, which gives insight into where some of the top players in the upcoming rookie class could land. His projection has the Thunder selecting one of most mysterious prospects in this class with the No. 12 overall pick.

It’s abundantly clear that Bilal Coulibaly had tremendous upside. With that in mind, during the last season in France he only played with his club’s senior team for the final few months of the campaign. Prior to that, he was spending time on the U21 circuit. Given he wasn’t able to participate in the combine or pre-draft workouts, Coulibaly is a somewhat unknown prospect.

With that in mind, Thunder GM Sam Presti and his staff have likely been evaluating the French wing for years now. Standing at a reported 6-foot-8, Coulibaly has two-way talent with his ability to shoot, pass, and defend. If any team were to be in a position where taking a swing on Coulibaly makes sense, it’s Oklahoma City.

He might not be an instant contributor, but with a season or two of development could be one of the best players in this class. Regardless, keep and eye on the Thunder being active in trades on draft night.

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