NBA Mock Draft: Taking Swings Outside of Lottery

With their second and third picks in the first round, the Oklahoma City Thunder could take swings on prospects.

For the second consecutive year, the Oklahoma City Thunder have three selections in the first round of the NBA Draft. Last year, they traded away one of their picks for two future firsts and also took Josh Giddey and Tre Mann. This time around they could do the same, or take a swing on three players.

Along with their own pick, Oklahoma City will be selecting in the first round via picks from the LA Clippers and Phoenix Suns. The Thunder's own pick is projected to be in the top five, while the other two will likely land outside of the lottery.

With that in mind, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman recently released a mock draft that has OKC taking two solid prospects with their second and third overall picks.

Let's take a look at how the non-lottery portion of the 2022 NBA Draft could unfold.

15. Oklahoma City Thunder: Blake Wesley (Guard | Notre Dame)

Blake Wesley, 2022 NBA Draft
Brad Mills / USA TODAY Sports

16. Houston Rockets: Kendall Brown (Forward | Baylor)

Kendall Brown, 2022 NBA Draft
Chris Jones / USA TODAY Sports

17. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jeremy Sochan (Forward | Baylor)

Jeremy Sochan, 2022 NBA Draft
Scott Sewell / USA TODAY Sports

18. San Antonio Spurs: Walker Kessler (Center | Auburn)

Walker Kessler, 2022 NBA Draft
Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

19. San Antonio Spurs: Christian Braun (Guard | Kansas)

Christian Braun, 2022 NBA Draft
Evert Nelson / The Capital-Journal-USA TODAY NETWORK

20. Indiana Pacers: Mark Williams (Center | Duke)

Mark Williams, 2022 NBA Draft
Rob Kinnan / USA TODAY Sports

21. Dallas Mavericks: EJ Liddell (Forward | Ohio State)

E.J. Liddell, 2022 NBA Draft
Barbara J. Perenic / Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK

22. Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jovic (Forward | International)

NBA Draft
Brad Penner / USA TODAY Sports

23. Milwaukee Bucks: Dyson Daniels (Guard | G League Ignite)

Dyson Daniels, G-League Ignite
[Ken Blaze]

24. Brooklyn Nets: Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Forward | Milwaukee)

Patrick Baldwin Jr., 2022 NBA Draft
MARK HOFFMAN / MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL-USA TODAY NETWORK

25. Chicago Bulls: Bryce McGowens (Guard | Nebraska)

Bryce McGowens, 2022 NBA Draft
Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

26. Memphis Grizzlies: Jean Montero (Guard | Overtime Elite)

NBA Draft
Brad Penner / USA TODAY Sports

27. Miami Heat: Jaden Hardy (Guard | G League)

Jaden Hardy, 2022 NBA Draft
Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA TODAY Sports

28. Memphis Grizzlies: Malaki Branham (Guard | Ohio State)

Malaki Branham, 2022 NBA Draft
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

29. Golden State Warriors: JD Davison (Guard | Alabama)

JD Davison, 2022 NBA Draft
Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK

30. Oklahoma City Thunder: Trevor Keels (Guard | Duke)

Trevor Keels, 2022 NBA Draft
Rob Kinnan / USA TODAY Sports

Although the lottery is where the Thunder will have the best chance to land a franchise-altering talent, there's also quality players later in the first round.


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.


Published
Nick Crain
NICK CRAIN

Nick has spent the last four seasons covering the Oklahoma City Thunder and has grown quickly in the media since starting. He’s continued to produce Thunder content through writing for Forbes.com and podcasting with The Uncontested Podcast, as well as branching out to cover the NBA as a whole for SLAM Online.