The Oklahoma City Thunder have one of the best trios in the league with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. For the foreseeable future, the draft will now be about filling out the rest of the depth chart around those three players.
The Thunder have the No. 12 pick of the 2024 NBA draft. They acquired the lottery selection via the Houston Rockets. The gifted first-round selection gives OKC a chance to add another young prospect to the youngest first seed in league history.
Until the first round on June 26, Thunder Wire will conduct a weekly big board for the best five fits who could be available at the No. 12 spot. Here’s the third version of that:
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Previous ranking: 2
Knecht is seen as the best shooter in this year’s class. He has arguably the best jumper of the draft. He averaged 21.7 points on 45.8% shooting, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists at Tennessee. He shot 39.7% from 3 on 6.5 attempts.
The 23-year-old will be an elite option both on catch-and-shoot looks and transition 3-pointers. Knecht would be the best fit for the Thunder. Even though they were one of the best 3-point shooting teams last season, OKC lacked a high-volume outside shooter. He’d provide that.
For a more in-depth look at Knecht, read his full prospect profile.
Journal-Courier
Previous ranking: N/A
da Silva is one of the more pro-ready prospects of this year’s class. He’ll be an immediate contributor. The 23-year-old spent four years at Colorado. He averaged 16 points on 49.3% shooting, 5.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season. He shot 39.5% from 3 on 4.8 attempts.
The 6-foot-8 forward can stretch the floor and be a secondary playmaker. He has an NBA-ready frame, which means he’ll be a plug-and-play rotation piece. He’ll benefit playing with OKC considering how drive-heavy the offense is with Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams. He should get plenty of open looks from outside.
For a more in-depth look at da Silva, read his full prospect profile.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Previous ranking: 5
McCain was part of a dominating Duke squad this past season and was the classic one-and-done prospect. The 20-year-old averaged 14.3 points on 46.2% shooting, five rebounds and 1.9 assists. He shot 41.4% from 3 on 5.8 attempts.
The combo guard should be an immediate contributor with plenty of room to grow as an NBA player. He’s an offensive…
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