The Oklahoma City Thunder are the best team in the NBA, are one of the youngest teams, and have plenty of draft capital in the coming seasons to improve their already great roster.
As a result of the trade that sent Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder can (and will) swap first-round picks with LA in the 2025 NBA Draft. With OKC all but guaranteed to finish with the very best record in the league, they can add a high-risk player with the Clippers' pick, and if he doesn't pan out, it shouldn't hurt them.
In a recent mock draft published by Bleacher Report, the Thunder pick 21st overall and select Danny Wolf from the University of Michigan.
In his third college season, Wolf averaged 13.2 points and 9.2 rebounds and played a massive role in the Wolverines' surprise win of the Big 10 tournament. In the run to the Sweet 16, eventually falling to top-ranked Auburn, Wolf kicked his offense into overdrive.
Wolf is far from a perfect prospect despite receiving Nikola Jokic comparisons. Yes, he can handle, shoot, and pass, but he is a sieve on defense and turns the ball over at a high rate.
His shot looks shaky, and while he was a solid stretch-big in college, he will need to improve to make it in the NBA. Luckily, the Thunder have plenty of time with Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren, so Wolf can take his time to develop.
He is not a high-level athlete and struggled to defend, even in college. While he can make highlight passes and hit stepback 3s, he gives up a lot of points and turns the ball over 21.5 percent of the time.
Related: OKC Thunder Scout Gets Promotion, He's Heading to the NCAA
For the Thunder, they have the luxury of being able to take a risk on Wolf. If he hits, he could be the steal of the draft, although it's far from a guarantee that he will have a successful NBA career.
Check out the Inside the Thunder homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles.
Related: Final Injury Report for Bulls-Thunder, Will Chet Holmgren, Josh Giddey Play?
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 6:09 PM.