Stiles Points: OKC Thunder Can Afford to be Aggressive in 2024 NBA Draft

The Oklahoma City Thunder can afford to be aggressive in the 2024 NBA Draft despite some holes in their roster.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti said \"we ll try to get some more people there for the G League / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

"Scared Money Don't Make None," is a phrase Sam Presti has shared publicly that became a rallying cry of the Oklahoma City Thunder rebuild. Despite the reference from Presti being in relation to landing Paul George and a peek instead his music-loving mind, it rings true for the 2024 NBA Draft.

While many will cry out about the Thunder roster flaws after their second-round exit to the Dallas Mavericks, the answer to their shortcoming will not be found in this draft class by an unproven rookie. Whoever is the selection with Oklahoma City's No. 12 pick should not be tasked with getting the Bricktown boys over the hump.

That will come mainly from the internal development of their young stars learning from their first battle and any moves made to bring in proven NBA talent.

This frees up the Oklahoma City Thunder to take a shot in the 2024 NBA Draft. While the sticker shock of Adam Silver uttering the name of another project prospect could send outside observers into a frenzy when viewing this team from a must-win window,

While a player like Tidjane Salaun could be a couple of seasons away from a sustained, productive, NBA run the Thunder have the patience and environment to make it work. Oklahoma City could afford to park Salaun with the OKC Blue to develop as they did with Ousmane Dieng this season which did wonders for the former lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

The swing in the 2024 NBA Draft does not have to look as dramatic as the 18-year-old either. If Presti elects to go for a sharpshooting guard or 3-and-D wing, that does not mean Oklahoma City will spend a summer ignoring other roster flaws. The 2024 class, like most, will not provide a magic elixir to fix any playoff woes OKC has.

It would be in the Thunder's best interest to continue to strive for the best player available on the board when their name is put on the clock versus selecting for need following their second-round exit.

Stiles Points

• The Oklahoma City Thunder saw three members of their roster receive votes for the All-Defensive team though none of them earned a spot on either roster. Lu Dort led the way with 54 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 19 points, while rookie Chet Holmgren earned 21 points while not making the cut. His fellow rookie Victor Wembanyama was placed on the first-team All-Defense list.
• There is scuttlebutt circulating around the NBA that the OKC Thunder could be a team that targets Kings wing Malik Monk. This would be a move that improves the Thunder roster, but for now is just speculation of a possible fit down the road. Expect Oklahoma City to be tossed into a lot of rumors this summer.
• The NBA will announce the All-NBA squads on Wednesday evening ahead of the Western Conference Finals tipping off. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a lock to be tabbed to the First-Team squad for the second consecutive season.

Song of the Day: Everytime the Sun Comes Up by Sharon Van Etten.

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