Chet Holmgren on landing with Thunder: Oklahoma City is ‘where I want to be’

Holmgren explained what makes the Thunder such an attractive place for him to land.

In the days leading up to the NBA draft, it was widely speculated that Chet Holmgren wanted to land with the Oklahoma City Thunder over the Orlando Magic. Now that the pact is official, Holmgren expressed his excitement to join the organization.

The Thunder officially introduced Holmgren on Saturday after selecting him with the second pick. Holmgren was joined by fellow draftees Ousmane Dieng (11th pick), Jalen Williams (12th pick) and Jaylin Williams (34th pick).

Holmgren apparently liked the on-court fit better with the Thunder over the Magic. He even cut a workout short with the Magic after spending two days with the front office in Orlando, according to Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated.

He explained what made the Thunder an attractive place for him.

Now that I’m here, I can officially say this is where I want to be. This is a great organization, great city and great fan base to be in. It is hard to sum up why I want to be here in a couple of sentences but I kinda said it best when I said it’s a great organization, great people and a great vision for the future.

Holmgren, who was named a consensus All-American, averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.7 blocks and 1.9 assists last season. He emerged as a strong prospect on both ends of the court and shot 39% from 3-point range on 3.3 attempts per game.

The 7-footer projects to fit in well with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, and he is viewed as a key building block for the future. Joining a team in the middle of a rebuild, Holmgren will have the opportunity to log plenty of minutes next season.

The Thunder locked in on him early in the draft process and clearly value his skill set and addition to the lineup, as does Holmgren. With summer league around the corner, the wait won’t be too much longer until Holmgren can take the court with some of his new teammates.

OKC tips off the Las Vegas Summer League on July 9.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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WATCH: Go behind the scenes with Malaki Branham and E.J. Liddell at the NBA draft

The Ohio State Hoops Twitter account shared a short, behind-the-scenes video of the 2022 NBA draft with Malaki Branham and E.J. Liddell.

For the first time since 2007, the Ohio State basketball program saw two of its players selected in the NBA draft. And even though E.J. Liddell fell down the daft board further than most anticipated, it was still a night to remember, one where both players got to see their childhood dreams come true.

We’ve already shared a video of both Branham and Liddell as they heard their name called, but the Ohio State Hoops Twitter page shared an extended version of both with some short behind-the-scenes remarks and commentary.

It’s not a long video, but one that makes you proud to be an OSU basketball fan. The video is only about a minute long, so take just a little bit to reminisce on the 2022 NBA draft night that saw two Buckeyes have their moments.

We’d like to think that this is starting a new trend for Ohio State, but for that to happen some young guns and fresh faces will probably have to develop quickly and surprise us next season.

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Michael Jordan congratulates Mark Williams despite being a ‘Dukie’

The former Tar Heel congratulates the former Blue Devil.

The Charlotte Hornets drafted their big man of the future during Thursday night’s NBA draft, selecting Duke center Mark Williams with the No. 15 pick.

Williams had been linked to the Hornets for months in numerous mock drafts with Charlotte in need of front court help.

What made the selection of Williams interesting is that the Duke Blue Devil would be drafted by Michael Jordan, a former North Carolina Tar Heel.

When the two first spoke over the phone after Williams was drafted, the Hornets owner made sure to bring up their college rivalry.

“And even though you’re a Dukie, I take pride in that we did draft you,” Jordan said to Williams.

Check out the full clip below.

Stay tuned to Lonzo Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Report: Cavaliers were also interested in drafting Ousmane Dieng

It sounds like the Thunder were able to beat out the Cavs for Ousmane Dieng.

In his latest episode of “The Hoop Collective,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst revealed the Cleveland Cavaliers were also very interested in Ousmane Dieng during the draft process.

The Oklahoma City Thunder grabbed Dieng with the 11th pick after sending three lottery-protected 2023 first-round picks to the New York Knicks in a trade.

“Cleveland and Oklahoma City were eyeing each other throughout the last few days. I think both wanting the same prospect — Ousmane Dieng. … The Thunder were wondering if the Cavs were going to get to 11. … I think they both had talks with the Knicks throughout the day.”

It’s interesting to learn Dieng had other suitors as high as No. 11 in the draft. The Thunder grabbed him along with Jalen Williams with the following pick and ended up with three top-12 selections.

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2022 NBA draft: Draft grades and thoughts from experts over the Thunder 2022 rookie class

Let’s take a look at what the experts said about the Thunder 2022 draft class.

The Oklahoma City Thunder completed the 2022 NBA draft by selecting four players including three in the top 12 of the draft.

The Thunder selected Chet Holmgren at No. 2, Ousmane Dieng at No. 11, Jalen Williams at No. 12 and Jaylin Williams at No. 34.

The Thunder introduced their four rookies on Saturday during their introductory press conference with each speaking glowingly about the franchise and general manager Sam Presti.

Usually, following drafts, sports pundits hand out grades for teams on the haul they got. Let’s take a look at what draft experts said about the Thunder draft. To read OKC Thunder Wire’s grades, click this link.

(Credit to The Rockets Wire’s Ben DuBose for accumulating the draft grade posts. For the Houston Rockets’ version, click here.)

OKC Thunder rookies Jaylin Williams, Jalen Williams recreate Spider-Man meme to perfection

This was too good from Jaylin Williams and Jalen Williams.

The 2022 NBA Draft has come and gone but memes last forever.

At the NBA Draft over the weekend, the Oklahoma City Thunder drafted Jalen Williams No. 12 overall out of Santa Clara. Then, just 22 spots later, the Thunder drafted Jaylin Williams from Arkansas at No. 34, prompting a deluge of jokes from Twitter about the similarity of their names.

Quite a hilarious coincidence, right? Sure, it might be hell on the announcers that have to differentiate the two for the fans in the future, but the two seem to be forming a fast friendship after they met previously at May’s NBA Draft combine.

And now, that friendship has evolved into memes, as Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams recreated the iconic Spider-Man meme as a token of their shared namesake.

You’ve gotta love it! Talk about new teammate camaraderie coming out in full force here. I, for one, cannot wait to see what Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams can do for the Thunder in the years to come.

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Así es se ve cuando Michael Jordan te llama para deicrte que fuiste drafteado

Este video muestra cómo el nuevo Charlotte Hornet, Mark Williams, recibió la llamada del draft de Michael Jordan.

Ser drafteado es el sueño de cualquier jugador que tenga aspiraciones para una carrera profesional. Es un honor ser seleccionado en el Draft de la NBA donde cada año solo hay 60 selecciones, a diferencia de la NFL (256) o la MLB (612).

No estoy tratando de restarle valor a aquellos que fueron seleccionados en los drafts de la NFL o la MLB porque sigue siendo un gran logro. Sin embargo, estoy tratando de enfatizar mi punto sobre qué pocos jugadores son elegidos cada año en la NBA.

Un representante del equipo que te va a elegir normalmente te llama antes de que oficialicen su selección.

Debe sentirse increíble recibir esa llamada sabiendo que todo tu arduo trabajo ha valido la pena y que finalmente estás a punto de convertirte en un profesional. Ahora, imagínense recibiendo esa llamada y que Michael Jordan esté al otro lado de la línea.

Sí, eso se sentiría loco.

Este video nos muestra cómo fue para el nuevo jugador de los Charlotte Hornets, Mark Williams, quien recibió la llamada del mejor jugador que jamás haya jugado baloncesto.

Traducción: Mejor. Llamada telefónica. De todos los tiempos.

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Why Alperen Sengun could be the biggest Jabari Smith beneficiary

On paper, Jabari Smith may be a better fit next to young Rockets center Alperen Sengun than what Paolo Banchero would have been. Shooting and floor spacing are among the reasons.

Entering last Thursday’s 2022 NBA draft, the future seemed obvious in Houston — but a little murky, all the same. The Rockets were projected to land Duke’s Paolo Banchero and form a dynamic two-man offensive game with second-year guard Jalen Green.

However, massive questions also existed with this selection, and specifically in regards to second-year center Alperen Sengun.

Would Banchero develop into a strong enough 3-point threat to leave space for Sengun to operate in the post? How would the defensive fit function with Sengun at center and Banchero at forward? Could Houston generate enough offensive touches for Sengun while creating a scheme around ball-dominant players like Green, Banchero and Kevin Porter Jr.?

Luckily, that’s not what happened on Thursday night. Paolo Banchero was shockingly picked at No. 1 overall by the Orlando Magic. That left Auburn’s Jabari Smith, pegged for months to be the No. 1 selection, to slide to the Rockets at No. 3 in the first round.

Nobody should be happier than Sengun.

The 19-year-old from Auburn averaged 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds as a freshman on his way to Associated Press All-American Second Team and All-SEC First Team honors. More impressively, he shot a staggering 42% on 3-pointers on more than five attempts per game. This is all in addition to 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks per game on defense.

Instead of a clunky fit, it’s as if Houston was able to design the ideal power forward to play next to their No. 16 overall pick from 2021.

Smith has the perfect defensive skillset to play next to Sengun and cover up any perceived defensive deficiencies on that end of the court. He’s far more instinctive on that end and can switch on to all positions. Best of all, at 6-foot-10 and 230 pounds, offers more than enough length and strength to make a difference in the paint.

Offensively, Smith’s perimeter shooting represents a whole new world for Sengun. Rather than clog the paint, Sengun can operate with his diverse array of moves in the low post and play to his strengths, Meanwhile Smith’s shooting not only pulls defensive attention away from Sengun but creates a whole new passing opportunity for the crafty center.

Sengun averaged 9.6 points and 2.6 assists in 20 minutes per game last season. Next to a dynamic shooting threat like Smith and paired with the combined creation efforts of Green and Porter Jr., these numbers have the potential to fly upwards in the 2022-23 season.

There has been criticism towards Smith over the idea that he isn’t quite yet prepared to create his shot on offense. However, the attention that Sengun and Green demand from defenses should help him quite a bit in this category. He won’t be expected to figure it out immediately.

A few weeks ago, Smith himself noted that, although he wasn’t expecting to drop in the draft, he’d compliment Sengun well with his shooting should he end up in Houston. Today, that possibility is a reality.

Houston was a huge winner on Thursday night when Smith fell to their pick. In context, Alperen Sengun may be an even bigger winner.

Head coach Stephen Silas now needs to figure out how best to deploy his new offensive duo in 2022-23. The success of the team likely depends on how well this frontcourt duo meshes on both ends of the court.

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2022 NBA Summer League: Complete roster tracker for every team

Rookie Wire took a look at each team and where their rosters stand ahead of summer league based on announcements or reporting.

The NBA draft has come and gone as players and teams alike now turn their attention to free agency and the start of summer league across three separate cities.

The festivities will begin July 2-3 with the California Classic in San Francisco. The NBA will then host the Salt Lake City Summer League on July 5-7 with the Las Vegas Summer League running July 7-17 featuring all 30 teams.

With dozens of players going undrafted, those individuals will now work to sign with teams or join summer league rosters in an attempt to earn contracts. Teams will also look to sign some notable players from other professional leagues.

Rookie Wire took a look at each team and where their rosters stand ahead of summer league based on announcements or reporting. We will continue to update the rosters as information becomes available.

Note: Recent draftees are not included unless it has been announced or reported that they will play.

Last Update: June 27, 12 p.m. EDT

Kings’ Keegan Murray explains future fit with Fox, Sabonis

Murray hasn’t been with the Kings for very long but is already beginning to think about the possibilities with his new teammates.

Keegan Murray hasn’t been with the Sacramento Kings for very long, but the former Iowa forward is already beginning to think about the possibilities with his new teammates.

The Kings took Murray fourth in the NBA draft on Thursday and view him as a key addition to the roster. The team zeroed in on Murray early in the process and was said to have him high on its radar heading into the draft this week.

Murray will join a core group that features De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Harrison Barnes and Davion Mitchell among others. He believes he fits in well with Fox and Sabonis and can’t wait to get to work with them in the coming months.

I think my versatility plays a factor in playing alongside both of them, being able to cut to the basket, read what Sabonis is doing in the post and things like that. I feel like that obviously takes time and chemistry but I’m just excited to be able to play off Fox, a dynamic point guard. He is a guy that can create his own shot and create for other guys. I feel like with my ability with catch-and-shoot 3s and playing on the perimeter will expand their games even more.

Murray was named an All-American after averaging 23.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals on 39.8% shooting from 3-point range. He was the top scorer in the country (822) and helped Iowa to the Big Ten title, earning MVP honors.

He proved more than just a scorer, though. He joined Kevin Durant (2007) as the only two Division I players to record at least 800 points, 60 blocked shots and 60 3-pointers in a single season. He also led all players in the country in PER at 37.8.

Murray is viewed as perhaps the most complete player in the draft and projects to have a smooth transition to the next level. Certainly, playing next to such established players like Fox and Sabonis will help.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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