OKC Thunder Double Down On Future With Length In Draft

“There’s a difference between picking players and assembling a team,” said Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti on Thursday night.

The Thunder were among the most active teams on the night of the 2022 NBA Draft, taking four prospects when it was all said and done. Three of these players came in the top-12 picks, while the final selection was made with the fourth pick of the second round.

With each of these players, length was an emphasis. Each have at least a 7-foot wingspan and have the potential to be excellent defenders. Additionally, all four have the ability to play at least two positions which has been an emphasis of this team as Presti rebuilds it.

Who did Oklahoma City select? How does this affect the future of the franchise?

Chet Holmgren (No. 2 Overall)

Holmgren was the gem of this draft for the Thunder, and the top prospect in the class in the front office’s eyes. It makes sense, considering he has superstar potential and is an extremely unique prospect. There’s not many bigs that can do what he does.

A true 7-footer, Holmgren has the ability to play both on the perimeter and in the paint. He’s extremely versatile and makes a high impact on both ends of the floor. The big concern with the Gonzaga prospect is his weight at 195 pounds, which could become an issue with injuries and the physicality of the NBA. As such, there is risk in a player like Holmgren, but the upside was too much to pass up.

“Look, it’s an adjustment for every player,” said Presti following the draft. “He’s competed against his peer group and against some of the best guys in the top the class. He’s unique. If you think about some of the best players in the NBA, unique is beneficial.”

In his lone season at Gonzaga, Holmgren produced 14.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game while shooting 41.2% from deep. He had a limited role offensively but still found a way to be highly productive. Where he really shines is on defense, blocking 3.6 shots per contest last season while being one of the best players on that end of the floor in the country.

Holmgren legitimately has the potential to be the face of the franchise in Oklahoma City one day. As good as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey are, Holmgren is a different level of a prospect. He will become an immediate starter and be a focal point for the team on both ends of the floor from day one.

The Thunder’s newest cornerstone will sign a 2 year, $20M contract that includes two team options that make the total deal worth roughly $44.2 million over four seasons. This makes him the second-highest paid player in Oklahoma City on average.

Ousmane Dieng (No. 11 Overall)

As much of a risk as Holmgren could be in the NBA, Deing is also a risky pick. Similarly, he has more upside than nearly any prospect in this class at 19 years old.

The 6-foot-10 French forward just finished a season in the NBL playing against stiff competition, which was a learning experience. He got off to a terrible start early in the season, but improved later in the year and flashed his star potential.

He finished the season with the New Zealand Breakers averaging 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per contest. He wasn’t a great shooter, converting on jut 21.3% of his shots from beyond the arc. Although he needs to improve as a shooter, he’s a natural playmaker and quality defender.

It’s difficult to see where Dieng fits in the short term on this roster, but for him it’s all about down the road. If he ends up being as good as he has the potential to be, the jumbo wing could emerge as one of the better players on the team when they’re competing again. It’ll likely come down to whether he can improve as a shooter. Presti was willing to spend three first-round picks to acquire Dieng after seeing him workout, meaning the upside is sky high.

The Thunder had been scouting Dieng since he was 16 years old, watching him grow from 6-foot-3 to 6-foot-10 and keeping the guard skills all along.

Jalen Williams (No. 12 Overall)

While Presti has typically targeted younger, more raw talent in the past several drafts, Williams is a three-year college player. A standout out of Santa Clara, he emerged as the leader of the team in his final season and impressed NBA scouts along the way.

Williams already has great size for a guard at 6-foot-6, but becomes even more interesting with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. He possesses elite size for his position, which should allow him to play guard or wing with the Thunder.

In his junior season at Santa Clara, Williams saw an uptick in his numbers at 18.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists. It’s a promising sign for a young prospect to improve their numbers year-over-year, which is something the 21-year-old did.

A guy that can do a bit of everything, he should be a solid NBA player that impacts winning at a high level when Oklahoma City is ready to compete again. He fits the mold of the player that is willing to do whatever it takes to have success and should be a stat sheet stuffer. The Thunder need shooting, which Williams will help with as a 39.6% 3-point shooter last season.

“He’s just a really natural basketball player,” said Presti of Williams. “He can play pretty much anywhere on the floor.”

Jaylin Williams (No. 34 Overall)

Yes, you’re reading that right. Oklahoma City selected two players with the same name on Thursday night. This Williams is a big that played two seasons at Arkansas before making the leap to the NBA

A 6-foot-10 big, Williams could spend time at both power forward and center at the next level. He’s an extremely smart player that makes quality reads defensively and is a stellar passer for his position. At 245 pounds, he’s got a body that’s ready for the NBA.

During his sophomore season, Williams produced 10.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. As one of the leaders on the team, there was a chance he might return to a loaded Arkansas squad next season. Instead, he stayed in the draft and will be a great project in the Thunder system. Williams will turn 20 later this month.

There should plenty of minutes for bigs in the Oklahoma City rotation next season, even with Holmgren on the roster. There’s a good chance Williams could play on a two-way contract or even just spend a ton of time in the G League with the Blue. This would give him quality reps as he develops his game early in his career.

There will most certainly be a competitive training camp in Oklahoma City, as the team currently has 20 players on full-time NBA contracts following the four draft selections. Only 15 players can make the roster for the 2022-23 season.

With that in mind, the Thunder could make more moves in the offseason to clear the logjam ahead of training camp.

Either way, there’s a ton of young talent on this roster and the future is extremely bright. It’s likely that all four of the prospects taken in the 2022 NBA Draft will join the other younger members of the OKC roster in NBA Summer League next month.

The team will spend several days competing in the Salt Lake City Summer League before heading to the Las Vegas Summer League. The rosters for each of those events will be slightly different, but there will likely be some overlap and players that compete in both.