The Ringer Offers Wild Card Lottery Pick for OKC Thunder in Latest Mock Draft

The Ringer gives the OKC Thunder a surprising pick in their latest mock draft.
Mar 2, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Rob Dillingham (0) walks off the
Mar 2, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Rob Dillingham (0) walks off the / Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
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The Oklahoma City Thunder (52-24) sit in a fight for the top seed in the Western Conference and on top of the regular season success the Thunder have earned, Oklahoma City will also enjoy a lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

The OKC Thunder are owed the Houston Rockets top-four protected first-round pick and barring out-of-this-world lottery luck, the Thunder will get to cash that pick in. This gives one of the top teams in the NBA a unique chance to add a top talent in the draft while enjoying a roster that has already cracked contender status.

In the latest round of NBA Mock Drafts ahead of the Final Four, The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor made another interesting pick for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Last week, O'Connor gave the Thunder Purdue big man Zach Edey who brings some fit concerns with him due to Oklahoma City's style of play. This week, the pick does not get any less controversial.

The Ringer is projecting the Thunder to select Kentucky Guard Rob Dillingham with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. O'Connor opines for the Thunder to grab a score-first undersized guard the lacks they have not seen since...Tre Mann.

Dillingham is a high-end NBA prospect with his unique scoring and creating ability, the Wildcat product can go get you a bucket despite his size concerns. Though, he is not a polished playmaker and gives up a lot on the defensive end to the point he might be unplayable down the stretch of games at times.

A lackluster playmaker and below-average defender is typically not the mold the Thunder go for. Though, in a perceived weak 2024 NBA Draft teams may have to get out of their comfort zones to make the best selection.


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Rylan Stiles
RYLAN STILES

Rylan Stiles is a credentialed media member covering the Oklahoma City Thunder. He hosts the Locked On Thunder Podcast, and is Lead Beat Writer for Inside the Thunder. Rylan is also an award-winning play-by-play broadcaster for the Oklahoma Sports Network.