Why the OKC Thunder Could Target Colorado's Tristan da Silva in Upcoming NBA Draft

According to a recent report, Oklahoma City is one of multiple teams in the late lottery to show interest in Colorado standout Tristan da Silva.

Mar 24, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Tristan da Silva (23) / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

According to a recent report from ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony, a handful of teams are interested in selecting Colorado wing Tristan da Silva in the NBA Draft later this month.

Tristan Da Silva’s draft range is viewed as Nos. 12–18 with most every team showing interest, per @DraftExpress/@JeremyWoo (https://t.co/AEFa0rOupo).

Teams selecting in this range: Thunder, Kings, Trail Blazers, Heat, Sixers, Lakers, Magic.

Da Silva averaged 16.0 points, 5.1… pic.twitter.com/5DlTPjwbLD

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 11, 2024

According to Givony's report, da Silva's draft range is between the No. 12 and No. 18 overall pick, with almost every team in this range showing interest. The Thunder are at the front end of this stretch with pick No. 12, and could be interested in the senior wing.

Hailing from Munich, Germany, da Silva spent four years with the Buffaloes, averaging 16 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 49.3% from the field and 39.5% from beyond the arc.

The talented senior's solid season helped da Silva earn Second Team All-Pac-12 honors in 2024. Alongside fellow NBA prospect Cody Williams, the younger brother of OKC standout Jalen Williams, da Silva helped lead Colorado to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024.

At the NBA Combine, da Silva measured over 6-foot-8 and 216 pounds without shoes, giving him ideal size on the wing at the next level. If Sam Presti and company were to select da Silva, the veteran college player's size would give him the versatility to play the three or four position in OKC.

With good size on the wing, a consistent perimeter shot, solid rebounding ability and decent passing acumen, da Silva seems to be a perfect fit for Mark Daigneault's offensive system.

Despite averaging more than one steal per game each of his final two seasons in Boulder, there are concerns about da Silva's defensive ability due to a lack of lateral quickness.

Still, after a solid junior and senior year with the Buffaloes, da Silva has a tantalizing offensive skill set at his size and could be a nice addition to the Thunder's offense.

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