Just days before the 2025 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder were crowned as NBA Champions.
In a Western Conference that is improving by the day, the Thunder will need some more ammunition if they want to stay at the top.
OKC possesses the 15th (via Miami), 24th (via LA Clippers), and 44th (via Atlanta) picks in this year’s draft. This means some very prominent players can make a real difference to this already stacked roster.
Pick 15: Rasheer Fleming, Forward
The hyper-athletic junior from St. Joseph’s made some remarkable leaps last season.
Before his junior season, Fleming was viewed as having all the athleticism and being a solid defender, but lacking a notable offensive skill set. He changed those narratives after he shot 39% from three on 4.5 attempts in his last season.
With Fleming’s newfound shooting ability, he would be the perfect small-ball backup center for OKC. His defensive mindset and athleticism go along with OKC’s defensive identity. Similar to many OKC players, he is very aggressive in going after the ball, leaving his defender open. Luckily, his ability to close out extremely quickly is also similar to OKC.
Fleming’s monstrous 7-5 wingspan leaves him a lot of leeway on the defensive end and makes him an excellent rebounder. Throughout the season, it was clear that OKC struggled in the paint when they wanted to run their small-ball lineups. Fleming would allow them to run these lineups without losing any of their speed and shooting.
Pick 24: Walter Clayton Jr., Guard
Walter Clayton Jr. is one of the most notable names in college basketball last season, and for good reason.
Clayton is a true point guard who is a superb shot creator. Last season, when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was off the court, it was clear how much they needed another primary ball-handler. This could be a free agent, like Chris Paul, or another young player from OKC, such as Ajay Mitchell, but Clayton has a fair shot at this role.
With SGA still lacking the complete playmaking package, the OKC big men often lack a lob passer. If he does get any minutes, Clayton will provide the much-needed lob passing.
Even though the entire OKC roster is under contract for next season, Clayton is more than talented enough to make himself a roster spot and potentially play a vital role on a championship team.
While the fit in OKC makes plenty of sense, he may be off the board by No. 24. Clayton Jr. reportedly canceled other workouts and has worked out for the Heat multiple times. Miami owns pick No. 20 in Wednesday’s draft.
Should this come to fruition:
Pick 24 (Backup): Nolan Traore, Guard
If OKC cannot draft a well-established, play-now guard with this pick, the next best thing is a draft-and-stash. The 19-year-old French guard is a very intriguing prospect. Traore has excellent vision for his age, and his acceleration and physicality already make him one of the more athletic guards in the NBA.
Due to a lack of roster spots, Traore will spend the majority of his early seasons in the G League, refining his game. Given time, he can become one of the biggest steals in the draft and provide a significant bench role for OKC.
With Traore’s draft projection being almost everywhere in the first round, there is another prospect who is a safe option:
Pick 24 (Backup): Hugo Gonzalez, Wing
The 19-year-old Spaniard is one of the biggest projects of the first round. Gonzalez, playing for Real Madrid, played in limited playing time against impressive competition. In his limited minutes, he did show traits that OKC would need.
Gonzalez was an excellent pick-and-roll player, constantly making the right read and showing downhill scoring ability. He also has impressive off-ball skills, and his constant movement creates numerous easy looks for himself.
After spending some time in the G League, he would assume a secondary playmaking role that would be vital to OKC. Although his inconsistent shooting limits his ceiling, Gonzalez possesses many NBA traits that will work out well for OKC in the future.
Pick 44: Amari Williams, Center
At this point in the draft, it is a long shot for any of these to play much in the NBA, but Williams’ supreme athleticism and height can get him there sooner than most. Per 40 minutes last season, he averaged 19.1 points, 14.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.1 blocks. He is a prototypical seven-footer with athletic abilities who can dominate the paint.
He will likely spend the majority of his time in the G League this season, but there is a lot of potential for the Kentucky paint beast.
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