NBA Mock Draft: Thunder Grab Two Guards in Lottery

Despite already having three quality young guards, the Thunder could have a chance at adding a prolific scorer in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Oklahoma City has a bottom five record in the NBA this season, meaning they’re projected to have one of the top selections in the 2022 NBA Draft. Due to this, the Thunder will have the opportunity to land a franchise player.

Currently in year two of their rebuild, the Thunder’s future success hinges largely on the draft. Even if OKC isn’t able to snag a top-three pick, the upcoming rookie class is talented enough to still produce star talent outside of that range.

Adding a cornerstone piece in the upcoming draft is a critical step in the right direction for the Thunder.

Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo recently released a mock draft, setting the stage for where he thinks some of the best players in this class could end up.

Although the draft lottery will ultimately decide the final order of selection for the upcoming draft, the Thunder currently have the fourth-worst record in the NBA. Based off of Woo’s mock draft, that would have them selecting a highly talented scoring guard with their first pick.

With the Thunder owning the Clippers' first-round pick, they have a chance at a second lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

1. Orlando Magic: Jabari Smith Jr. (Forward | Auburn)

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2. Detroit Pistons: Paolo Banchero (Forward | Duke)

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3. Houston Rockets: Chet Holmgren (Center | Gonzaga)

James Snook / USA TODAY Sports

4. Oklahoma City Thunder: Johnny Davis (Guard | Wisconsin)

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5. New Orleans Pelicans: Jaden Ivey (Guard | Purdue)

Ron Johnson / USA TODAY Sports

6. Indiana Pacers: Keegan Murray (Forward | Iowa)

Harrison Barden / USA TODAY Sports

7. Sacramento Kings: Bennedict Mathurin (Guard | Arizona)

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8. San Antonio Spurs: Kendall Brown (Forward | Baylor)

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9. Portland Trail Blazers: Dyson Daniels (Guard | G League Ignite)

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10. Atlanta Hawks: Jalen Duren (Center | Memphis)

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11. New York Knicks: Jaden Hardy (Guard | G League Ignite)

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12. Boston Celtics: Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Forward | Milwaukee)

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13. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC): Blake Wesley (Guard | Notre Dame)

Brad Mills / USA TODAY Sports

14. Washington Wizards: MarJon Beauchamp (Forward | G League Ignite)

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Oklahoma City is already extremely deep at guard, but at this stage in the rebuild it makes sense to take the best available player in the draft. As such, Davis and Wesley could both be a solid options for the Thunder on draft night in the lottery.

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