In his recent article detailing the perfect 2022 NBA draft for the Oklahoma City Thunder, ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony. At the 12th spot, Givony surprisingly mentioned Kentucky guard Shaedon Sharpe being there and the Thunder taking him. The most interesting part of his analysis is the fact that Givony has heard that Sharpe welcomes being drafted to the Thunder for basketball reasons.
“Sharpe is conducting competitive 3-on-3 workouts for most, but not all of the teams picking in the top 10, with his floor likely being this spot for the Thunder, who will be getting a visit and have studied him more closely than any team in the NBA. Sharpe dropping to 12th on draft night would be surprising, but not unimaginable. Not every team picking in the 5-10 range has a great handle on what Sharpe’s game is, and not all would be willing to give him the freedom and reps he’d need to learn on the fly and make up for the experience he missed by skipping his senior year of high school, opting not to play at Kentucky and heading straight to the NBA. Sharpe’s camp also doesn’t sound overly concerned with where he’s picked, preferring to take a long-term view in steering him to an advantageous development situation in which he can maximize his significant potential and become an All-Star, with the Thunder being at the top of their list.”
Hearing that Sharpe — the biggest mystery of the draft — has the Thunder at the top of his list of preferred teams to be drafted by must be music for the fanbase’s ears. While second overall is too rich for taking Sharpe, having him available at No. 12 is way too good to pass up on. One can even argue that if Sharpe is available after No. 6, then the Thunder should give max effort in attempting to trade back up.
The 2022 NBA draft is scheduled to be held on June 23.
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