The Oklahoma City Thunder, for the rest of the decade, have more draft picks than anyone. General manager Sam Prest has set himself up for long-term success: he can draft whoever he wants, and if they don't pan out, he will have more young talent incoming in the following years.
This year's first-round pick is coming via the Los Angeles Clippers, who have to swap selections with the Thunder as a result of the Paul George trade. Depending on how the Philadelphia 76ers do this season, the Thunder could add their pick.
However, in the second round with the 44th overall pick via the Atlanta Hawks, the Thunder make a splashy pick in *The Athletic's*recent mock draft.
Presumably, to add more height in the frontcourt behind Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, the Thunder are projected to spend a second-round pick on Stanford's 7-1 center Maxime Raynaud.
This season for the Cardinal, Raynaud has averaged 20.1 points and led the ACC with 10.6 rebounds. In their first NIT game against in-state rivals California State, Northridge, he posted 22 points and 11 boards, pushing them into the second round.
He shoots a very solid 34.1 percent from 3-point range and is exactly what fans would expect from a traditional NCAA center. He's spent four years in college and seems to be playing at his ceiling, although for a third-string big, the Thunder could do a lot worse.
He can use crafty footwork to create space in the paint, but he doesn't project to dominate at anything, although he is a solid all-around player.
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Keep in mind, he will be a second-round pick, so the Thunder could do a lot worse but it's rare to find a star. Not everyone will be Nikola Jokic.
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This story was originally published March 23, 2025 at 4:30 PM.