Tankathon Mock Draft: Thunder Grab Duke Duo

Oklahoma City got the rare chance at snagging a Duke duo in the most recent Tankathon Mock Draft.

With the 2022 NBA Draft on the horizon, the Thunder are again looking to add premier pieces to its growing core.

This season, Oklahoma City was fortunate to land a second lottery pick at the hands of the Pelicans, who ousted the Clippers in the Western Conference play-in game.

OKC currently holds the fourth and twelfth best odds, and will look to continue bolstering its roster in hopes for future success.

Here is a randomly generated mock draft presented via Tankathon:

The Result:

[Per Tankathon.com]

The Picks:

No. 1 Pelicans: Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga

No. 2 Magic: Jabari Smith Jr., Auburn

No. 3 Knicks: Jaden Ivey, Purdue

No. 4 Thunder: Paolo Banchero, Duke

No. 5 Rockets: Keegan Murray, Iowa

No. 6 Pistons: Shaedon Sharpe, Kentucky

No. 7 Thunder: AJ Griffin, Duke

No. 8 Pacers: Jalen Duren, Memphis

No. 9 Trail Blazers: Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona

No. 10 Kings: Johnny Davis, Wisconsin

No. 11 Spurs: Tari Eason, LSU

No. 12 Wizards: Dyson Daniels, G-League Ignite

No. 13 Hornets: Jeremy Sochan, Baylor

No. 14 Cavaliers: Ochai Agbaji, Kansas

The Rationale:

One of the most intriguing results possible, three teams in the bottom half of the odds jumped into the top four: New Orleans, New York and, luckily for OKC, the Los Angeles Clippers.

New Orleans lucked out yet again due to the Lakers, grabbing the No. 1 overall pick and bolstering their interior defense in the process. With Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum as outside shooting threats, and Holmgren able to keep space between him and Zion Williamson, it seems like a safe bet.

Under normal circumstances, Banchero would almost never fall to No. 4. But in the case of three non-tanking teams jumping up, things are allowed to get crazy. The Knicks could very well be looking for a backcourt partner for RJ Barrett, and might not be ready to give up on Julius Randle just yet.

With one of the top forwards secured, Oklahoma City has room to work with at No. 7. While not necessarily a player with potential star power, Duke forward AJ Griffin has proved he can play with stars before. And being thrust into the lineup with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Banchero, he’d need to do just that.

Other solid fits include Tari Eason developing in San Antonio, Jeremy Sochan adding defense to Charlotte and the Trail Blazers lucking out with Bennedict Mathurin.

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