Thunder Draft: Best Options At Pick No. 18

While it’s their third pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the OKC Thunder could find real value with the No. 18 pick.

Nick Crain | Jul 26, 2021

Thunder Draft: Best Options At Pick No. 18 /

With six picks in this week’s draft, it’s likely that Thunder GM Sam Presti makes a draft night move that involves packaging picks. With a roster that lacks available spots, OKC really doesn’t have the ability to sign six rookies even if they wanted to.

With that in mind, if the Thunder do keep the No. 18 overall pick, which currently would be their third pick that night, there’s quite a few quality options that are worth taking.

There’s always a handful of players that were projected in the lottery that fall just outside. Furthermore, Presti has taken gambles on guys who weren’t projected until later in the draft many times in the past.

Regardless, having this mid-round first is a major asset and a selection that could net a franchise cornerstone for the Thunder.

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Cameron Thomas (LSU)

Thomas is a walking bucket, standing at 6-foot-4 with the ability to play both guard positions at the next level. Just 19 years old, he should be able to make an impact immediately as a rookie, but his ceiling may not be as high as other prospects in his range.

The one thing holding him back from being a lock in the lottery is his game outside of scoring. Thomas has shown he can score at the highest level, but can he pass, defend and do other things teams need in a well-rounded player? For a team like the Thunder, development time for the remaining pieces of his game is there.

JT Thor (Auburn)

A smooth left-handed forward, Thor stands at 6-foot-10. He made an immediate impact as a freshman, starting in all 27 games while producing 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest.

While he's still a fairly raw prospect, the draft combine was excellent for Thor, who has seen much more interest from teams in the first round than before that event. In a system like Oklahoma City, he could slowly grow into the type of player he needs to be to reach his ceiling in the NBA.

Ziaire Williams (Stanford)

A boom-or-bust type of prospect, Williams is 6-foot-9 but weighs just 188 pounds. If he's able to fill out his frame, he could be one of the elite wings in this class. On the flip side, he Williams isn't able to adjust to the physicality of the NBA game, he could really struggle his entire career.

With all of this in mind, there may not be a better fit just outside of the lottery than the Thunder. During their rebuild, Williams would have plenty of opportunity to develop his game in low pressure situations. Additionally, OKC likely won't be contending again for several years, giving him time to get stronger and gain weight before he truly needs to make a huge impact.

Isaiah Todd (G League)

NBA G League — Mary Holt / USA TODAY Sports

Overshadowed by all of the talent on the G League Ignite, Todd could be the biggest steal of the draft. He was one of the best players in the country coming out of high school and showed flashes of that in the G League last season.

Standing at 6-foot-10, Todd has the versatility to score from all over the floor and rebound well. Playing against professionals all of last season, he held his own, showing that he's well worth a first round selection.

Published Jul 26, 2021

NICK CRAIN

Nick has spent the last four seasons covering the Oklahoma City Thunder and has grown quickly in the media since starting. He’s continued to produce Thunder content through writing for Forbes.com and podcasting with The Uncontested Podcast, as well as branching out to cover the NBA as a whole for SLAM Online.