With the NBA draft lottery order set, ESPN has launched its latest mock draft.
The Oklahoma City Thunder took star Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs with the No. 4 pick.
Suggs, who was both a football and basketball prospect coming out of high school, chose basketball and chose wisely. Not even his five-star ranking projected the kind of season he had with Gonzaga.
He showed athleticism and explosiveness to the rim. He showed the ability to make ridiculous plays when it mattered the most. He helped lead Gonzaga to an undefeated regular season, a winning streak that did not end until they fell in the championship game to Baylor.
ESPN reporter Jonathan Givony wrote that Suggs could be a top-three pick.
“The Thunder would surely be thrilled to see Suggs, a strong candidate for many teams picking in the top three, fall to them. His defensive versatility, competitiveness and transition-scoring prowess would fit in very well with what the team already has in place on the court as well as with the culture Sam Presti is attempting to build in Oklahoma City.”
Suggs would pair nicely next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as another playmaker and scoring option. If the lottery gives the Thunder a top-five selection, a pick like this would potentially give them an All-Star backcourt.
The No. 5 pick, belonging to the Cleveland Cavaliers, was Jonathan Kuminga. That’s relevant to the Thunder because they would get the Houston Rockets’ pick if it ends up being fifth in the lottery. There is a 47.9% chance it lands there.
If the Thunder don’t get the Rockets’ pick, they’ll receive that of the Miami Heat at No. 18. In Givony’s mock draft, they used it on Arkansas guard Moses Moody.
“Like every team, the Thunder could look to bolster their wing depth with as many floor-spacing, multipositional defenders as they can find. Moody is an ideal 3-and-D prospect who happens to be one of the youngest players in the draft, having yet to turn 19.”
Moody averaged 16.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 42.7% from the field and 35.8% from 3.
He’s a good shooter off the catch, and his 7-foot wingspan elevates his defensive potential. He’s another guy who could theoretically switch between a few positions on the court.
This draft outcome seems as though it would give the Thunder two rotation players with their first-round picks.
This post originally appeared on OKCThunderWire. Follow us on Facebook!