NBA Mock Draft: Taking A Dominant College Big

With their first round selection outside of the lottery, the Thunder could target a center.

Outside of their own pick, the Oklahoma City Thunder have two additional picks in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft. One of these is from the LA Clippers and the other from the Phoenix Suns, being acquired through the separate trades of Paul George and Chris Paul respectively.

The Thunder and Clippers picks will both be in the lottery, while the Suns pick will be outside of it. In fact, that selection is slated to be the last pick in the first round at No. 30 overall. In this range, Oklahoma City could add a complimentary young piece to its core.

Kyle Boone of CBS Sports recently released a mock draft the 2022 class, which gives insight into where some of the top players in the upcoming rookie class could land. His projection has the Thunder selecting a big that dominated college basketball last season.

With the No. 30 pick, there’s not a high chance of landing a player that becomes a star. However, quality role players and complimentary pieces are extremely important for a rebuilding team.

15. Charlotte Hornets: Mark Williams (Center | Duke)

Robert Deutsch / USA TODAY Sports

16. Atlanta Hawks: Tari Eason (Forward | LSU)

Benny Sieu / USA TODAY Sports

17. Houston Rockets: Dyson Daniels (Guard | G League Ignite)

Darren Yamashita / USA TODAY Sports

18. Chicago Bulls: Jean Montero (Guard | Overtime Elite)

Brad Penner / USA TODAY Sports

19. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jaden Hardy (Guard | G League Ignite)

Kirby Lee / USA TODAY Sports

20. San Antonio Spurs: MarJon Beauchamp (Forward | G League Ignite)

Ken Blaze / USA TODAY Sports

21. Denver Nuggets: Kendall Brown (Forward | Baylor)

Chris Jones / USA TODAY Sports

22. Memphis Grizzlies: Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Forward | Milwaukee)

MARK HOFFMAN / MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL-USA TODAY NETWORK

23. Brooklyn Nets: Blake Wesley (Guard | Notre Dame)

Brad Mills / USA TODAY Sports

24. Milwaukee Bucks: Kennedy Chandler (Guard | Tennessee)

Bryan Lynn / USA TODAY Sports

25. San Antonio Spurs: Harrison Ingram (Forward | Stanford)

Stan Szeto / USA TODAY Sports

26. Dallas Mavericks: Malaki Branham (Guard | Ohio State)

Charles LeClaire / USA TODAY Sports

27. Miami Heat: EJ Liddell (Forward | Ohio State)

Adam Cairns / Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK

28. Golden State Warriors: Nikola Jovic (Forward | International)

Brad Penner / USA TODAY Sports

29. Memphis Grizzlies: Trevor Keels (Guard | Duke)

Rob Kinnan / USA TODAY Sports

30. Oklahoma City Thunder: Walker Kessler (Center | Auburn)

Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

It’s still unclear exactly what Kessler’s ceiling is at the next level. He’s fairly limited as an athlete, but has the tools to be an effective backup center or low-end starter.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like SI Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.