Thunder Draft Lottery Preview

Tuesday night, Oklahoma City will once again await its lottery fate. Even though this year’s viewing night carries much less suspense, getting any sort of luck could go a long way for the Thunder.

Jumping up into the top three could change the direction of the franchise once again — for the better. If Oklahoma City sticks at its projected spot, Sam Presti hit a home run in Jalen Williams last summer in the late lottery.

The 2023 NBA Draft Lottery will air on ESPN at 7 p.m. CT, locking in the first 14 picks of the 2023 NBA Draft. Out of the 14 eligible teams, Oklahoma City has the twelfth highest lottery odds.

The Thunder seems destined for the No. 12 pick, which is the overwhelming odds-on favorite for the team’s draft order. Outside of No. 12, there are six other potential spots for Oklahoma City’s lottery pick.

No. 1: 1.7%
No. 2: 1.9%
No. 3: 2.1%
No. 4: 2.4%
No. 12: 85.2%
No. 13: 6.7%
No. 14: 0.1%

Oklahoma City has just a 1.7% chance to land the No. 1 overall selection in one of the biggest star-studded drafts in recent memory. If the Thunder somehow lucked out, Victor Wembanyama would be quite the prize. The French big man is considered the best draft prospect since LeBron James.

Nick Collison will represent the Thunder on stage Tuesday night as the team’s lottery representative. Oklahoma City’s general manager, Sam Presti, will be behind the scenes in the drawing room.

A season ago, Oklahoma City picked second, eleventh and twelfth in the 2022 NBA Draft. Chet Holmgren was injured for the season and Ousmane Dieng was always going to be a project player, but Jalen Williams picked up the slack in a big way. The Thunder’s No. 12 overall selection was second in Rookie of the Year voting and finished on the All-Rookie First Team. If the Thunder stick at No. 12 on Tuesday, Presti’s track record should be assuring.

In addition to the Thunder's late-lottery selection, Oklahoma City also has two second rounders at No. 38 and No. 50 overall. The team has capitalized on second round picks in recent years, with Arkansas' Jaylin Williams being the latest second round success story.

If Oklahoma City leaps into the draft's top five, the direction of the franchise could change dramatically. If the team slides into its projected spot at No. 12, Presti has a chance at adding another playmaker to a blossoming core. It's a win-win for Thunder fans on Tuesday night.

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