With a championship waiting at their heels, the Oklahoma City Thunder are on the verge of completing one of the most impressive rebuilds in NBA history. They just need to beat the Indiana Pacers one more time.
The unusual problem, for the Thunder, would be that despite their journey to the top being nearly finished, they are still rich in assets like a team clawing their way up the mountain. That's a good thing, right?
Well, it is and it isn't. The Thunder still have a ton of draft capital that is capable of replenishing their roster as needed. The problem is their roster projects to be full.
The Thunder will have all 15 roster spots for 2025-26 occupied if they pick up the team options on Jaylin Williams and Ajay Mitchell before their deadline dates. However, there may be at least one prospect worth creating space for.
TJ McConnell
Jun 16, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) grabs a loose ball as Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) and guard Andrew Nembhard (2) battle for control during the third quarter in game five of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center.
© Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
The latest ESPN mock draft had the Thunder using their 15th overall selection to pick Collin Murray-Boyles out of South Carolina. Draft expert Jeremy Woo explained why the Gamecocks forward has been divisive, but is ultimately worth the gamble.
Woo wrote, "Murray-Boyles has been one of the more divisive players among executives we've spoken with -- some are enamored with his defensive versatility and all-around production and see an outstanding NBA role player, while others harp on his limited positional size and lack of perimeter shooting, and the way those two factors limit his projectable ceiling."
The ESPN draft analyst added, "His range appears to start at No. 10 with the Rockets -- a team that makes sense as a fit, but also one that could trade its pick -- and ends around here in the teens."
Woo concluded, "The Thunder enter the draft with supreme flexibility thanks to their deep, talented roster and their huge cache of future draft capital, enabling them to move around in the draft and target who they want. Murray-Boyles' toughness and basketball IQ align with the criteria Oklahoma City tends to target, making this a potential landing spot for him."
Murray-Boyles would be someone who would be ready to contribute from day one to a championship caliber team. That should make the polarizing figure a much less controversial pick for the Thunder.