Inside The Thunder

Three Potential Second Round Thunder Draft Targets

With picks No. 38 and 50 in OKC's possession, the team will look to once again find a valuable role player late in the draft.

Randall Sweet

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In back-to-back drafts, Oklahoma City has selected players who have played important minutes for the team. In 2021, the Thunder drafted Aaron Wiggins with the 55th overall pick, taking big man Jaylin Williams in the second round the following year. 

Both Wiggins and Williams have already become fan favorites, playing their way into the rotation early in their careers despite not being selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. In 2023, OKC will have two more chances to duplicate this success.

The team has already brought in Furman big man Jalen Slawson for a workout, signaling that Thunder General Manager Sam Presti is interested in the Pineville Prep alumni. Slawson is a fifth-year senior who averaged 15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game this season for the Paladins. 

The 6-foot-7 forward shot 55.6% from the field and 39.4% from 3-point range in 2022-23, helping lead Furman to a first round upset over No. 4 seed Virginia. Slawson is a two-time Southern Conference Player of the Year honoree and was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year in 2021-22. 

Another potential second round target for Oklahoma City is Gonzaga wing Julian Strawther. The 6-foot-7 junior averaged 15.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game this season with the Bulldogs. 

A former teammate of Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren, it is likely that Presti has had his eye on Strawther for multiple seasons. In his final year at Gonzaga, the former four-star prospect shot 46.9% from the field and 40.8% from beyond the arc on over five attempts per game. He is a good defender who could potentially find a role at the NBA level immediately if his 3-point shot continues to fall.

Missouri forward Kobe Brown is also an interesting second-round option for OKC. The senior from Huntsville, Alabama averaged 15.8 points, 6.4 rebounds. 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 55.3% from the field and 45.5% from downtown this season for the Tigers. 

One thing that makes Brown special is his versatility. Listed at 6-foot-7, 240 pounds, the former three-star prospect can handle the ball and play on the perimeter, but is big enough to functionally operate in the paint. 

There is a solid chance that none of the aforementioned players end up in Oklahoma City, but all three seem like potential fits for the Thunder in the second round. 

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Randall Sweet
RANDALL SWEET

Randall Sweet is a 2022 Oklahoma University graduate who has formerly written for the Norman Transcript and OU Daily. Randall also serves as the Communications Coordinator at Visit OKC.

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