NBA Mock Draft: Thunder Take Unexpected Forward

The top of this upcoming draft will likely be filled with forwards, but which one could the Thunder land?

Now that the regular season has ended, the Oklahoma City Thunder are locked in with the fourth-highest lottery odds. As such, their pick will land somewhere between the first and eighth overall pick.

We won’t know which pick the Thunder will actually own until the draft lottery next month. At that point, every selection in the 2022 NBA Draft will be solidified.

Where that pick lands for Oklahoma City will drastically impact the type of player the Thunder could land. If it’s a top-three pick, they’ll likely take one of the highly-coveted forwards that rank in the top of the class. If it’s outside that range, things certainly get interesting.

Doric Sam of Bleacher Report 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 an interesting forward to anchor the young core.

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. However, the way the lottery shakes out could have them selecting at a better or worse spot than the reverse standings finished.

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

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

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

[Theo John]

4. Oklahoma City Thunder: Keegan Murray (Forward | Iowa)

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5. Indiana Pacers: Jaden Ivey (Guard | Purdue)

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6. Portland Trail Blazers: AJ Griffin (Forward | Duke)

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7. Sacramento Kings: Shaedon Sharpe (Guard | Kentucky)

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8. San Antonio Spurs: Bennedict Mathurin (Guard | Arizona)

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9. New Orleans Pelicans: Jalen Duren (Center | Memphis)

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10. Washington Wizards: Johnny Davis (Guard | Wisconsin)

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11. Portland Trail Blazers: Mark Williams (Center | Duke)

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12. New York Knicks: TyTy Washington (Guard | Kentucky)

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13. Atlanta Hawks: Ochai Agbaji (Guard | Kansas)

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14. Charlotte Hornets: Jeremy Sochan (Forward | Baylor)

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Murray might not be the popular, flashy player that many Thunder fans hope is selected on draft night. However, he’s a solid prospect that could end up being a key franchise cornerstone wherever he lands. His production increased drastically in his sophomore season at Iowa.

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