NBA Mock Draft: OKC Thunder Select College Basketball Star in Lottery

A recent mock draft projected Oklahoma City to add four players in the upcoming NBA Draft with three selections in the first round.

Oct 15, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks forward Collin Murray-Boyles talks with the media during SEC Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder have had an impressive start to the 2024-25 campaign, going 3-0 with wins over the Atlanta Hawks, Chicage Bulls and Denver Nuggets.

On top of OKC's success, Sam Presti and the team's front office have built up an impressive collection of draft picks over the coming years. In the 2025 NBA Draft, the Thunder are set to have three picks in the first round.

In a recent mock draft for Bleacher Report, Jonathan Wasserman slotted South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles to Oklahoma City with the No. 11 overall pick.

Listed at 6-foot-8 and 245 pounds, Murray-Boyles is a sophomore for the Gamecocks. The second-year player is coming off a strong freshman campaign that saw the former 4-star recruit average 10.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, one block and one steal per game en route to SEC All-Freshman honors.

A strong rebounder and defender, Murray-Boyles seems to have some of the ideal traits to play the power forward position next to Chet Holmgren or serve as a versatile role player off the bench. The Columbia, SC, product has not made a 3-pointer in his college career, however, and may not be able to space the floor well enough to have a spot in Mark Daigneault's offense.

With the No. 15 pick, Wasserman slotted French forward Noa Essengue to Oklahoma City.

Listed at 6-9 and 195 pounds, Essengue is a high-upside prospect and is one of the youngest players in the 2025 draft.

At No. 27 in Wasserman's mock draft, OKC selected Dallas, TX, product Dink Pate.

Listed at 6-8, Pate averaged eight points, 3.8 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 31 G League contests during the 2023-24 season, playing with the Ignite. Coming out of high school, Pate was rated the No. 30 overall prospect and No. 2 shooting guard in the nation, according to 247Sports.

In the second round, Wasserman mocked Kentucky big man Brandon Garrison to the Thunder. Garrison is from Oklahoma City and was a McDonald's All-American coming out of Del City High School.

Listed at 6-10 and 250 pounds, Garrison was rated the No. 36 overall prospect and No. 5 center in the 2023 class, according to the 247Sports' Composite Rankings.

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