NBA Draft: Thunder Can Improve Frontcourt Depth Late in Draft with Toumani Camara

Tourmani Camara, a forward out of Dayton University, could help the Thunder improve their frontcourt heading into next season.

Historically, it has been incredibly difficult for NBA teams to find value in the deeper parts of the second round of the draft and beyond. But that doesn’t stop them from trying. And sometimes, though rarely, that effort pays dividends.

In fact, the Oklahoma City Thunder has recently been enjoying those dividends.

Luguentz Dort has certainly outperformed his ‘undrafted’ label and has gone on to become one of the most respected defenders in the NBA. Aaron Wiggins, selected with the 55th pick in 2021, has also helped the Thunder in spurts with his blend of effort, 3-point shooting, and knack for cutting. 

Though they were not drafted by the Thunder, Kenrich Williams (undrafted) and Isaiah Joe (49th pick) have also provided exceptional value.

And in just 13 days, the Thunder will have another opportunity to unearth hidden value in the 2023 NBA Draft. But who might that player be?

One option the front office might want to consider taking a closer look at is Toumani Camara, a 23-year-old forward hailing all the way from Belgium.

At 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, Camara has great size for his position and stands out due to his energy, effort, and mobility on the defensive side of the ball and has flashed enough offensive juice in the way of passing, finishing, and shooting this season to earn himself the 54th spot on ESPN’s ‘Best Available’ list for the 2023 draft.

The Belgian forward put up several impressive numbers in his last season at Dayton University, too.

In 34 games, Camara filled up the stat sheet when he was on the floor, averaging 18.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks per 40 minutes. He also converted 60.6% of all his 2-pointers and knocked down 36.3 percent of his 80 attempts from beyond the arc.

Camara brings size, real defensive ability, and high-level rebounding effort to the table. Add in the fact that he is capable of knocking down 3-pointers, finishing with a variety of moves inside the paint, and has upside as a playmaker out of the post, and he makes for an intriguing target for the Thunder. 

He would also add experience and depth to a frontcourt rotation that has more questions than answers right now with Aleksej Pokusevski just having sustained a potentially development-altering injury and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl having played poorly down the stretch after recovering from an ankle injury. 

However, Camara will still need to improve upon his free throw percentage, turnover rate, and become a more consistent shot-maker to carve out a career in the NBA.

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