Players Thunder Could Take With Each 2025 First-Round Draft Pick

Looking ahead, who are some names Thunder fans should have their eye on when the draft rolls around in the summer?

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks at the podium after the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The 2025 NBA Draft won't occur for another nine months, but it can't hurt to start looking ahead at who the Thunder could take. Things change throughout the draft process as well, like injuries and stock rising and falling.

Oklahoma City has three first-round picks for the upcoming draft, all of which were acquired in trade at some point or another. One of those picks belongs to the Houston Rockets, which should fall around the top ten. Their other two, previously belonging to Miami and Philadelphia, are a little more unpredictable.

It's worth mentioning that OKC could finish the season with more than three first round picks.

Here are a few players at each spot the Thunder could look at taking.

Middle to Late Lottery

Dink Pate, Mexico City Capitantes G

From a pure potential standpoint, Pate has one of the highest ceilings in the entire draft class. A six-foot-eight versatile guard, Pate does things that a guy of his size should not be able to do. Pate skipped out on college basketball, heading straight to the G-League, playing for the now-eliminated G-League Ignite.

With them, Pate averaged 8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, shooting 34.7% from the field and 21.4% from the perimeter. The numbers from the outside certainly don't reflect well, but the shooting mechanics are there for him to improve that percentage.

Pate fits the modern NBA guard mold perfectly. He is still only 18 years old and has the scoring skills and defensive potential to bud into a great professional player. Watch Pate play for the Mexico City Capitanes this G-League season to see more of the exciting versatile guard.

Khaman Maluach, Duke C

Looking into another young name for the center spot could never do any harm and Duke freshman Khaman Maluach appears to be one of the best in the class. The seven-foot, 250-pound big man turned a few heads in the Olympics this past summer with South Sudan, impressing viewers with his rim-running and shot-blocking.

On the topic of players who fit the new mold, Maluach checks the boxes for what General Managers want in their young centers. Maluach can run up and down the floor with ease and block shots efficiently, while being able to score in the post and extend out to the three-point line. Maluach's athleticism draws attention to him, making him a viable option for a first round pick.

Late First Round

Alex Karaban, UConn F

Out of all these names, none have the experience and pedigree of Karaban. Returning for his third year of college basketball with the UConn Huskies, Karaban has now been a member of two national championship teams. He has improved year-to-year and if the numbers stand correct, should see another statistical jump.

Karaban has everything you want in a stretch-forward, with a combination of sharpshooting and defense. He has no issue putting the ball on the floor and is a key reason why UConn spaces the court so well. He's not the best athlete, but he's efficient enough and makes great decisions, making up for that.

By no means would Karaban be the most glamourous first round pick, but if you want a player who impacts winning and has evidence of doing so, look no further than the redshirt junior forward.

Carter Bryant, Arizona F

Bryant plays the same position as Karaban but offers a different skill set. Like Karaban, he can shoot it well from outside and spaces the court well. Bryant, different from Karaban, is a high-level athlete who can jump through the roof.

Bryant, like the previously mentioned young players, is what front offices would look at for a modern NBA forward. He's athletic, can run the court and defend at a high level. It's still the preseason, so Bryant is going to have to prove himself on offense. If he can find an outside shot, he might not be around when the Thunder would target him late in the first round.

Ben Saraf, Israel G

Saraf is certainly more of a question mark, playing for Ratiopharm Ulm in the German Bundesliga. The Israeli-born guard stands out the most as a playmaking wing, with the ability to score on multiple levels and defend. His passing and decision-making skillset gives him fascinating positional versatility, making him more valuable as a potential point guard.

When Saraf has the ball in his hands, shooting off the catch or getting downhill, he is hard to stop. Not many prospects present as both a good creator and scorer like he does. It's clear his feel for the game is there, more than likely due to his time playing overseas.

Saraf seems like a player who could shoot up draft boards as the year progresses, but with limited information as of now, he seems slotted for the end of the first round.

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