The Oklahoma City Thunder entered the 2024 NBA Draft with every option on the table. A bevy of future draft picks that made it possible to trade up, the lack of needs to fill in the draft making it possible to move back to earn value and the luxury of a 57-win ball club that can afford to take an upside swing on a pick.
With a draft class that has lacked consensus the entire cycle and the Thunder’s routinely unpredictability, no one could fully track which way the organization was leaning prior to being put on the clock during Wednesday’s first round. Owning the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft – as they have in the last three drafts – the Thunder stayed put and made their selection.
The Oklahoma City Thunder used the No. 12 pick to select guard Nikola Topic from Serbia, who is in line for a redshirt year after suffering a partially torn ACL just weeks ago.
Topic is a jumbo playmaker who has shown shooting touch at the free throw line and shooting 68 percent at the rim as an inside-the-arc weapon with high-level passing chops. Given his free throw percentage and touch around the cup many project a shooting leap to be in the cards for the youngster but this is certainly a gamble by Oklahoma City.
The Thunder have found success with the No. 12 slot, using it to acquire Cason Wallace last season, Jalen Williams in the 2022 NBA Draft, Steven Adams in the 2013 draft and Nick Collison back in 2003 and are hoping this pick is the next prospect to join this list.
As of now, Oklahoma City does not have another pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, but with the new two-day format and the war chest of future picks, the Thunder have, Presti will be able to leap back into the draft should he want to.
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Source link : https://www.si.com/nba/thunder/draft-coverage/okc-thunder-select-nikola-topic-no-12-pick-in-2024-nba-draft
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Publish date : 2024-06-26 21:24:27
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