Is Emoni Bates a Thunder Draft Target?

In an interview at the NBA Draft Combine, former high school superstar and Eastern Michigan standout Emoni Bates mentioned that he will meet with the OKC brass prior to next month's NBA Draft.

With the NBA Draft looming, teams have already begun to bring in players for private workouts, interviews and draft visits. Oklahoma City has brought in a number of prospects and will continue to meet with more potential fits as the big day draws closer.

One of the Thunder's pre-draft workout choices may surprise many OKC fans, as Eastern Michigan star Emoni Bates said in an interview with BSO's Daniel Bell that he will meet with Oklahoma City before draft day.

"I would love it [in Oklahoma City] for sure, if I was to get that opportunity," Bates said in the interview. 

Emoni Bates knows Chet and played against each other. Knows his game and would love to play next to him, JDub, Giddey, Dort, SGA, and others pic.twitter.com/cmx2WPPJCT

— The Daniel Bell© (@BasketballGuruD) May 19, 2023

Given Thunder General Manager Sam Presti's usual draft philosophy, many were surprised by OKC's interest in the former Memphis Tiger. Bates was arrested prior to his lone season at EMU but was never charged.

The potential first round pick issued an apology after the charges against him were dropped, saying, "I hold myself accountable for making a poor decision, and hope you can forgive me as I grow because this will not be my last mistake, however, a lasting stigma to remind me of the severity of such a mistake." 

On the court, Bates athletic testing numbers weren't stellar, and his measurements were lackluster. 

The EMU product's shot-making, however, is what excites NBA teams the most about the former five-star prospect. Bates is able to knock down tough, contested shots at a level that not many other players in the world can.

In a game against Toledo in early 2023, the Ypsilanti, Michigan, native connected on nine triples en route to a 43-point, seven-rebound performance. Games like this show what Bates is capable of, but the 6-foot-9 wing struggled with consistency in his two years of college basketball.

Coming out of high school, Bates was a five-star prospect, ranked as the sixth-best player in the nation. At 15, the Ypsi Prep Academy product was compared to former Thunder legend Kevin Durant.

While these are lofty goals for any prospect to reach, Bates was far from the next KD during his freshman season at Memphis. After averaging 9.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game with the Tigers, the highly touted wing transferred to Eastern Michigan, where he put up 19.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 40.5% from the field and 33% from 3-point range. 

Bates improved play in 2022-23 earned him All-MAC honors as a sophomore, leading the Michiganite to declare for the 2023 draft. 

While there are holes in his game, Bates is an intriguing prospect who could be very valuable at the next level if he is able to continue knocking down shots. With better offensive weapons around him, there is reason to believe that the former five-star could find a role on offense in the NBA. 

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