OKC Thunder Make Three Selections in First Round of 2025 NBA Mock Draft

Oklahoma City is slated to have three first round selections in the 2025 NBA Draft, meaning the team could add even more depth next summer.

Oct 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Drake Powell (9) with the ball in the second half at the Dean E. Smith Center / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The 2024-25 NBA regular season is less than two weeks away, kicking off the tanking race for Cooper Flagg for a number of teams in the rebuilding stage.

While the Oklahoma City likely won't be in the mix for this cycle's consensus top draft prospect, Sam Presti and company still hold a trio of first round picks in the upcoming draft and could find another solid option.

In a recent mock draft published by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, the draft analyst project OKC to draft North Carolina freshman Drake Powell with the No. 13 overall pick. A talented wing hailing from Pittsboro, NC, Powell is listed at 6-foot-6 and was rated the No. 11 overall prospect and No. 3 small forward in the 2024 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.

A McDonald's All-American, Powell has long arms and is a gifted athlete, making him a strong defender. Powell's strength and athleticism also make him a solid finisher at the rim, but scouts say that the true freshman still needs to improve his offensive game.

Two slots later, Vecenie paired G League guard Dink Pate with the Thunder.

Pate, just 18-years-old, was a 4-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class before electing to forgo college and play for the Mexico City Capitanes in the G League. Listed at 6-foot-7, Pate was rated the No. 30 overall prospect and No. 2 shooting guard in the country coming out of Pinkston High School in Dallas.

As a senior in high school, Pate averaged 20.3 points per game and was named the 2022-23 District 13-4A Most Valuable Player. He was selected to the 2022-23 UIL 4A All-Region Team and All-State Team.

Finally, Vecenie slotted Pittsburgh guard Jaland Lowe to the Thunder with the No. 26 pick in the draft.

Listed at 6-foot-2, Lowe is originally from the Houston area and was rated a 4-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class. As a freshman with the Panthers, Lowe averaged 9.6 points, 3.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game.

"Lowe played next to first-round pick Bub Carrington last season and was quite good in his own right as a freshman guard," Vecenie wrote. "He came into his own as the season progressed, averaging 12 points and 3.7 assists versus 1.6 turnovers during ACC play last year while hitting over 40 percent from 3. He’s a steady presence out on the court with real speed who can make excellent decisions. He’ll get a chance to run the show for Pitt this season without Carrington around."

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