Thunder Draft: Inside Sharife Cooper’s Three Day Workout in OKC

First round draft prospect Sharife Cooper is a Thunder target who recently spent three days working out with the team in OKC.

Auburn’s Sharife Cooper is one of the most intriguing prospects in the upcoming draft. While he doesn’t have the height that teams look for in a guard, he is an undersized spark plug.

Not only can he score, averaging 20.2 points per game as a freshman, but he also dished out 8.1 assists per contest.

Due to his height and lack of 3-point shot, Cooper projects to be selected just outside of the lottery. Luckily for the Oklahoma City Thunder, they own two picks in that range.

Could Cooper be a quality pick for OKC at No. 16 or No. 18? 

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Cooper recently spoke to Jacob Kniffen of The Uncontested Podcast, where he confirmed that the Thunder brought him in for a workout as one of the six teams that he’s done that with so far.

“I was there for three days,” Cooper told Kniffen. “OKC was one of the workouts that I had other people there. So it was me and five other guys. It was a fun workout. They put us through a lot of game simulations. It was pretty good”

Not only did Cooper put in work on the court, but he also spent time getting to know the front office and staff.

“I had a great interview with OKC. They asked a lot of family questions, ask different questions about yourself,” said Cooper of his interview with the Thunder.

FULL INTERVIEW: Sharife Cooper

🚨Interview with @SharifeCooper 🚨

- pre-draft process
- his workout with OKC
- influences on his game
- rapid fire questions

And more!

You don’t wanna miss this one

🍎: https://t.co/wTmcTmLYAV pic.twitter.com/kmW9SSxl8s

— THE UNCONTESTED PODCAST (@The_Uncontested) July 16, 2021

In terms of fit, Oklahoma City is already deep in terms of young ball handlers with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Ty Jerome and Theo Maledon. However, Cooper is much different than all of them.

His explosive, highlight reel style of play would give the Thunder a ton of energy off the bench. While he may never be a superstar guard at the next level, he could evolve into one of the best reserves in the NBA.

After working out Sharife Cooper for three days in Oklahoma City, it’s clear the Thunder have their eye on him as a potential selection on draft night.