What The Events Of Thursday Night Tell Us About Future

“We are always looking for the best player for the Thunder,” said Thunder GM Sam Presti following the 2023 NBA Draft.

For some teams, Thursday night’s draft was about finding a player that fits the perfect mold for what the franchise needs today. For others, the draft was an exercise to land the absolute best player on the board, regardless of position.

For Oklahoma City, it was about finding the prospect that best fits the roster, culture and community. Every team factors in the human element when evaluating talent, but the Thunder organization genuinely takes the person into consideration just as much as the player. That philosophy proved true once again on Thursday night, as the Thunder selected two incoming rookies.

It was an exciting draft night for Oklahoma City, who made the second big trade of the night. The Dallas Mavericks sent the Thunder the No. 10 overall pick, allowing OKC to move up two spots from No. 12, for taking on the contract of Davis Bertans. The Latvian sharpshooter earned a huge payday several years ago, but has since struggled to provide at the level expected for a player being compensated the way he is. The Thunder is set to take on the final two years of his contract, which is worth $17 million in this upcoming season and $16 million the following, with an early termination option. Bertans is a great candidate for a reclamation project in OKC that could end up being a key contributor or trade chip down the line.

Moving up to No. 10 allowed the Thunder to get one of the most well-rounded players in this entire class. Oklahoma City selected Cason Wallace, a one-and-done guard out of Kentucky University that’s known for his defensive playing. Make no mistake, he also possesses tremendous offensive upside with his ability to knock down shots in an off-ball role, but also facilitate as a primary handler of the ball.

“All of the hard things that people don’t want to do when it comes to playing basketball, he does naturally,” said Presti of Wallace on Thursday night.

Wallace is often described as mature, poised, competitive, tough and hardworking. He does the little things to impact winning and his production goes well beyond the box score.

From there, Oklahoma City used its second and final pick of the night at No. 50 overall on Kansas State University product, Keyontae Johnson. An extremely strong wing standing at 6-foot-5 with a 7-foot wingspan, he also has the ability to impact winning on both ends of the ball. He is coming off of a breakout season following what has been an incredible journey the past few years.

As a member of the Florida Gators, Johnson had a medical emergency on Dec. 12, 2020, as he collapsed on the court and was sidelined for the remainder of his junior season. From there, he sat out his fourth season as a Gator before transferring last summer to Kansas State for his final season of eligibility. Prior to the medical emergency, he was viewed as a potential first-round talent.

Last month, during the pre-draft process, the NBA’s Fitness to Play panel cleared Johnson which allowed him to officially be eligible to be drafted in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Presti was asked about Johnson’s medical clearance, and said he indicated that he confident in his health given it was all in the NBA’s hands.

At the surface, Oklahoma City drafted two strong prospects that have the ability to make things happen on both ends. When looking bigger picture, these two selections continue to provide clarity on what the Thunder is looking to build.

When looking at the roster as currently constructed, even after adding Wallace and Johnson, nearly every player on the team has defensive upside. Whether it’s untapped potential or defensive production that has come to fruition, nearly every player on the team has some form of it.

On the offensive end, the roster is loaded with players that can not only make things happen with the ball in their respective hands, but also possess the IQ to move off-ball and find ways to impact the game without scoring in isolation. While the average fan focuses on what players do with the ball, often times what can really change the outcome of a game is what’s happening away from it. Setting smart screens, making the right cut, playing the angles, communicating and other less noticed traits are generally the difference maker, especially in the postseason.

What Presti has built over the past few years is an entire team that does everything previously described. This also allows the team to play mostly positionless as versatility runs throughout the roster. As such, head coach Mark Daigneault can get creative with lineups depending on how he wants to match up with opposing teams on a night-to-night basis on both ends.

“We have a lot of flexible players that can play in this infrastructure,” said Presti on Thursday.

The Thunder GM believes that two-way talent enhances the style of play Oklahoma City wants to have, but also is a catalyst for development. Combine that with the fact that the team brings in players that are also good people, and it’s easy to see why the team has gotten competitive so quickly.

The upcoming Thunder rookie class will include Cason Wallace, Keyontae Johnson and also Chet Holmgren, who will be returning from energy. If there’s anything that can be learned from this draft, but also last summer’s, it’s that Oklahoma City continues to build towards a roster with high character individuals that play selfless, as a team and are able to do nearly everything on the floor to impact winning.