OKC Thunder Will Add Talent to Growing Core in 2023 NBA Draft

Oklahoma City will add another piece to its growing core in the 2023 draft.

In just nine days, the Oklahoma City Thunder will again bolster their up-and-coming roster with a lottery talent.

The team is set to choose at No. 12 for the second straight season, and if last year’s pick is any indication, they’re set to add even more talent to a core already ripe with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey.

And while the newest Thunder might not be expected to finish as the Rookie of the Year runner-up, they’re certainly likely to see their fair share of minutes off the bat.

Within the last few years, the twelfth pick has had a fairly solid track record of immediate contribution, the most notable being Williams, Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton and Charlotte’s Miles Bridges.

And in a loaded draft class featuring the likes of Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, Amen and Ausar Thompson and Brandon Miller, all of which are sure to push other talents even further down the board, Oklahoma City is going to have their fair share of options.

Notable trade-up targets in Arkansas’ guard Anthony Black and Houston’s Jarace Walker will offer a similar mold that the team has sought in recent years. Players like Cason Wallace, Taylor Hendricks and Gradey Dick offer high-floor attributes like shooting and defense, which could plug seamlessly into the Thunder’s nearly-set lineup. And, of course, there’s plenty of upside swings in Metropolitans 92’s Bilal Coulibaly, New Zealand Breakers’ Rayan Rupert or G League Ignite’s Leonard Miller.

No matter what the OKC front office opts to do in the coming weeks, they’re sure to leave the draft with a player who sends impactful ripples through the organization for years to come. 

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