The Thunder may not currently have a lottery pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, but if there’s one thing we have all learned about Sam Presti, it’s that nothing is impossible. Not even finding a difference-maker with a late a first-round pick (or no pick at all).
With the team expected to enter the next phase of its rebuilding plan this offseason, November’s draft would represent the first of the next few steps along that path. A potential trade of Chris Paul would presumably follow, but with Presti likely to be patient on that front, the 2020 NBA Draft Combine is worth looking forward to if you’re an Oklahoma City fan.
On Wednesday, the league announced its draft combine and notified the masses that, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the league would be utilizing remote technology to allow teams to evaluate prospects. The combine, which will be conducted in phases, begins on Monday.
On Sunday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported the participants, also noting that some of the top prospects wouldn’t be participating.
Armed with the 25th and 53rd picks of the draft, the Thunder will have an opportunity to find some prospects who could have an opportunity to get some minutes next season. Aside from Paul, Dennis Schroder and Steven Adams have also been mentioned as potential trade assets, while Danilo Gallinari and Nerlens Noels are each set to become free agents.
2020 NBA Draft Combine participants list — LaMelo Ball will participate; projected top selections Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman and Obi Toppin are not: pic.twitter.com/Yp3kK5mBAD
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 28, 2020
While Presti’s staff has built a reputation of being able to evaluate talent and draft well, the lack of a lottery pick over the past few years has predictably resulted in the lack of a drafted difference-maker. Obviously, Lu Dort has been a revelation, though, so the franchise does deserve some credit there.
In the most recent mock draft we’ve seen, CBS Sports had the Thunder selecting Florida State’s Patrick Williams with the 25th pick. He was once considered a lottery pick, but he isn’t among the prospects who was reported by Charania as participating in the combine. Different conclusions can be drawn from that fact.
Still, if nothing else, the 2020 NBA Draft is one of the more important for the franchise in recent memory, as it’s the first swing of the bat as the team attempts to (re)build its future. As the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers has shown us, tanking doesn’t necessarily guarantee future success. Sometimes, finding pieces, bit-by-bit, is the way to go. So no matter how you slice it, this year’s draft — although conducted much differently than we’ve ever seen — is an opportunity for the Thunder.
The process will officially begin on Monday, and it’ll be unlike any predraft process we’ve ever seen before.
Hopefully, for the sake of the Thunder, Presti can find a useful player. If you were placing a bet, it’d probably be wise to wager in favor of that scenario.