Thunder Players Taken Late in 23-and-Under NBA Draft

Oklahoma City's prized prospects went later than most fans would expect in The Athletic's newest panel draft.

Oklahoma City's treasure chest of lottery picks were a bit underrated in The Athletic's latest 23-and-Under Draft, where the panel of writers chose the best young players in the NBA to build a team with.

Chet Holmgren was the first Thunder player off the board as the last pick in round five. Directly ahead of Holmgren was Jaden McDaniels, Walker Kessler, LaMelo Ball and Alperen Sengun.

Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft missed the entire season with a foot injury but has arguably the highest ceiling of any top prospects in Oklahoma City. His two-way impact could be special, changing the game on both ends of the floor. Despite not playing in an NBA game yet, it’s hard to fathom Holmgren dropping that far considering his age and potential on the court.

Next up for the Thunder was Jalen Williams, who was snagged in round seven of the hypothetical draft. In front of Williams, Scottie Barnes, Franz Wagner and Keegan Murray were the selections — all players that have shown serious promise early on. Williams was this season’s Rookie of the Year Runner-Up behind Paolo Banchero, who was selected with the first pick in round three.

Williams was one of the most efficient rookies we’ve seen in recent memory and still has plenty of room to grow. His role increased over the course of the entire season, totaling out to 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He notched splits of 52-36-81 in the three major categories while upping his usage in every game down the stretch. His drop in the hypothetical draft could only be explained by his age, as he was certainly a veteran rookie after a strong college career at Santa Clara.

Round eight is where the draft finished up, with Jalen Duren, Trey Murphy and Immanuel Quickley leaving the board in order. With the draft’s conclusion, one notable name in Oklahoma City was left off entirely: Josh Giddey.

When did Josh Giddey turn 24? Did I pass out and wake up in 2027 or something?

— Royce Young (@royceyoung) May 3, 2023

The Thunder’s star point guard averaged 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game in his sophomore season, sneaking all the way up to 48.2% from the floor. Giddey’s 3-point percentage spiked nearly six percent, up to 32.5% on the season while notching a 73.1% rate from the free throw line. 

If this were a hypothetical draft with NBA general manager's participating, Giddey almost certainly would've flown off the board sooner. His ability to elevate his teammates and generate offense is special — and he doesn't turn 21 until October.

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