Thunder Draft: Potential Second Round Steals

With two of the top-five picks in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft, the Thunder could select high-caliber players that slipped out of the first round.

Nick Crain | Jun 25, 2021

The Oklahoma City Thunder will have a big decision to make in the 2021 NBA Draft with their No. 6 overall pick as they look to select a franchise cornerstone. They've also got two other first round picks to help round out the roster.

What is also extremely important is their two early second-round picks. Owning the No. 34 and No. 36 overall picks in July's draft is extremely underrated. Every year, there's a handful of guys in the second round that turn out to be steals at their draft position.

With two top-five picks in the second round, OKC has a real chance at landing a quality NBA player in round two. Let's take a look at a handful of players who could make an impact at the next level in the second round.

JT Thor (Auburn)

Thor is a smooth left-handed forward, standing at 6-foot-10. He started all 27 games he played as a freshman, averaging 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest.

His 3-point shot is a work in progress, but at his size you can wait for that, especially knowing his shooting stroke looks just fine. Thor’s physical frame is certainly something that could hold him back early in his NBA career, but has the skill and athleticism to make an impact either way.

Josh Christopher (Arizona State)

Christopher was the highest recruit since James Harden to attend Arizona State. One of the top-15 players in the country coming out of high school, he averaged 14.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game as a freshman.

A 6-foot-5 guard, Christopher will need to improve upon his 30.5 percent shooting from deep if he’s going to make a major impact at the next level. He’s got so much upside as a playmaker and has the ability to play on or off the ball, making him a plug-and-play prospect.

OKC Draft Picks: SI Thunder Big Board

Oklahoma City's options with the sixth overall pick

Isaiah Todd (G League Ignite)

Overshadowed by all of the talent on the G League Ignite, Isaiah Todd could be a huge sleeper in the second round. Prior to skipping college for the G League, he was the 15th best player out of high school according to ESPN’s Top 100.

In 15 games last season, mostly off the bench, Todd averaged 12.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while also knocking down 36.1 percent of his 3-point attempts. At 6-foot-10, he could be an excellent second round selection to earn early forward minutes in the NBA.

Josh Primo (Alabama)

A 6-foot-6 guard, Primo made the SEC All-Freshman team in his lone college season. Converting on 38.1 percent of his threes, Primo may not be more than a shooter early in his NBA career, but would still be worth a look early in the second round.

A versatile defender in college, he has the size to adapt to the NBA game and become a solid defender at that level. Primo was a great rebounding guard at Alabama, but only dished out 25 assists all season.

Brandon Boston Jr. (Kentucky)

Boston Jr. came into his freshman season at Kentucky as the seventh-best recruit in the country. Although things gradually got better throughout the season, his overall body of work in college was extremely disappointing relative to what was expected.

Either way, he’s got too much potential and upside to fall outside of the first few picks in the second round if he does somehow slip out of the first round overall. The 6-foot-7 guard shot just 30 percent from beyond the arc and 35.5 percent from the floor as a whole at Kentucky. If he’s going to turn things around in the NBA, he’ll need to get much more consistent and bulk up his 185 pound frame.

Terrence Shannon Jr. (Texas Tech)

Shannon Jr. played two college seasons, showing growth from his freshman to sophomore season, especially with his 3-point shot that improved to 35.7 percent in year two. Slated to be a late first rounder early in the college basketball season, Shannon Jr. has slid in recent months, even after earning 2020-21 All-Big 12 honors.

At 6-foot-6, he could provide additional guard depth and versatility, especially on defense. Shannon will be 21 at start of NBA season, but has a lot of experience and could adapt to the NBA game quickly if teams can get over his age.

Miles McBride (West Virginia)

Another two-year college player from the Big 12 Conference, McBride is undersized but a major scoring threat at 6-foot-2. He averaged 15.9 points and 4.8 assists per game his sophomore season while shooting 41.4 percent from deep.

Not many college players average nearly five assists per game, let alone while shooting over 40 percent from three. McBride’s ceiling isn’t high enough to go in the first round, but could be a solid pick in round two.

Published Jun 25, 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.