2024 NBA Mock Draft: Who's OKC Thunder Select Two Days Before Draft?

Will the Oklahoma City Thunder use their No. 12 pick in the draft on Wednesday?

Sam Presti speaks to the press in Oklahoma City, on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

The NBA Draft is just two days away. Well, the first round, that is. For the first time, the league is splitting up the first and second rounds of the NBA Draft.

Still, the two-day event begins in two days, meaning teams have to begin seriously honing in on certain talents. Teams looking to trade have a couple more days to negotiate and gauge the value of their selections.

For the Thunder, that is to be determined. The No. 12 pick is less significant for the team after trading Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Alex Caruso. The trade could also change how the team approaches the pick as the guard rotation could be set.

Two days removed from the draft beginning, who do draft analysts have the Thunder selecting? Yahoo Sports' Krysten Peek has the Thunder selecting Carlton "Bub" Carrington out of Pittsburgh in an updated mock draft. Drafting a high-upside guard given the team's situation right now would be unique.

"The Thunder traded Giddey to the Bulls for Alex Caruso, and even though Caruso will bring veteran experience at 30 years old, the Thunder could be targeting a guard with upside at 12," Peek wrote. "Carrington was a projected mid-to-late first-round pick all season and has catapulted into the lottery during workouts and team meetings."

If the Thunder swings for upside in the lottery, it's hard to imagine it comes at the guard position. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Caruso and Lu Dort, if you want to loop him in, round out an incredible guard rotation. Potentially blend in Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins and there's no room to play a high-upside guard.

Swinging for potential would make more sense for the Thunder if selecting a forward or big man. Still, Carrington is a 6-foot-7 guard with great positional size and the ability to score off the dribble, a facet of the game that could elevate Oklahoma City both in the short and long term.

"He has great size and can be productive offensively playing on or off the ball. His shot selection still needs some fine-tuning, but there are a lot of teams in the 10-20 range that love his upside," Peek continued.

By no means would Carrington be a bad selection, but rather a surprising one. At the end of the day, predicting what the Thunder does in the draft feels impossible in any given draft.

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