When The OKC Thunder Destroys NBA Draft Expectations...Again

#NBA #OklahomaCityThunder #NBADraft
The OKC Thunder are building an NBA dynasty and they just landed potentially the steal of the 2024 NBA draft in Nikola Topic. Sam Presti and the Thunder front office have been very busy this offseason. They just traded for Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Josh Giddey. After being the number one team in the Western Conference behind a young core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, and more, OKC has drafted Nikola Topic who was considered a surefire top-5 pick in the draft before he was hit by injury. Topic played in Europe this past season and dominated older competition.
The Thunder also traded five 2nd round picks to the New York Knicks to acquire Weber State wing Dillon Jones with the 26th pick of the draft. And in the 2nd round, OKC also made a trade to acquire Ajay Mitchell from UC Santa Barbara. The Thunder just might have lowkey won the draft after lottery selections like Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, Stephon Castle, Reed Sheppard, Donovan Clingan, Bronny James, and Rob Dillingam made headlines. But did the OKC Thunder really draft solid pieces to add their potential dynasty?
The NBA offseason has just begun. We’ve already seen a number of trades such as the Josh Giddey-Alex Caruso trade, the Mikal Bridges trade to the Knicks, and the Dejounte Murray trade to the Pelicans. Free agency situations of Klay Thomspon, Paul George, Russell Westbrook, and Isaiah Hartenstein are also closely monitored by NBA teams. But will OKC make a big free agent signing too?
For similar content, please search for:
NBA news, OKC Thunder, Nikola Topic OKC, NBA draft winners and losers, Josh Giddey Alex Caruso trade, NBA mock draft, Sam Presti, Alex Caruso traded to Okc Thunder, Josh Giddey Chicago Bulls, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Dalton Knecht Lakers, Bronny James Lakers, Stephon Castle drafted by Spurs, OKC gets the steal of the draft in Nikola Topic, Dillon Jones, Ajay Mitchell, Mikal Bridges trade, NBA free agency
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[@riroballs]

Did you like the OKC Thunder's choices in the Draft?

[@coubz6473]

Personally, I thought that loosing Giddey will cost us a lot. But by drafting Nikola Topic, we filled the Giddey role again and strengthened our defense and 3PT % by adding CARUGOAT

[@riroballs]

Josh definitely would cost us a lot but as you said, We are good

[@saulbarron563]

That what I’m saying I am going to miss giddy he was good for u but sga have the ball more I would of been different if we didn’t have sga but giddy is going to put on show in Chicago

[@its_zbo]

Caruso already solves the giddey problem, you slow af😂

[@MeMe-ef5fw]

Do you guys even watch thunder basketball?

[@saulbarron563]

@@MeMe-ef5fw yes I’m from Okc I went to 20 games this year do u

[@dolowrld7043]

If deing just gives us half of what we need it’s finna get real scary

[@riroballs]

facts!

[@fromzero2rirotv694]

great video!! Thunder Up!

[@morganworkman4165]

Topic does not have a 7' wingspan. That was a rumor. When he got measured, his wingspan came in at 6'5"

[@irishamerican8790]

that’s not true at all

[@bigboi301slg]

​@@irishamerican8790 do you have a source that says otherwise?

[@irishamerican8790]

@@bigboi301slg do you?

[@bigboi301slg]

​@@irishamerican8790 yes, there's multiple sources that show he was measured at 6'5 Wingspan. One Google search away lol. However, you're the one claiming the OP is incorrect, so the burden of proof is on you. I'm assuming you have no proof though based on your reply lol.

[@gaeleckeylander]

Nikola actually has a 6'5.5" wingspan. The earlier reported seven foot mark was a large error.

[@chuckcheesy6325]

Topic will be OKC's 3rd best player in 3 years..i said it first

[@riroballs]

He has a super high ceiling and I think people don't understand how good he is. I was supposed to mock him to us but i realized he would not drop that low.. but!

[@joshuahicks6583]

Wishful thinking, I don't see him being better than Chet or Jdub but I do see him being dang good for us.

[@huntersmith1482]

Impossible unless jdub or Chet lose a limb

[@emanuelegiorgion7093]

No.

[@kevinscott9242]

In 3 yrs Topic will follow Chet & JDub & be considered a Top 3 pick from his Draft

[@awethinic8379]

Okc needs more players off the bounce. All three draftees can do that. We need better passers too. All 3 players can do that. As a small market that can’t get free agents to want to play here, we must develop our team thu g leaguers. I think Oszman will help us this year and he was the g league finals mvp. Topic should improve his 3 pointer while in rehab. The other two players will be in summer league and most likely will be on the g league. Presti also believes j will will improve this offseason. Ppl want to label our problems as rebounding and guarding the bigs. Reality is this, if we shoot as a team better at 3’s against Dallas, we advance. Hopefully we get a good trade early next season that helps us with rebounding. But if not, our experience will help us advance further. I expect, j dub, Ouzman, chet, and wallace to have big improvements.

[@riroballs]

Can't agree more! A lot has been said about the lack of rebounding/size etc.. but I think more of the focus should be better and more consistent secondary shot making. At least 5 ppg more from Jdub would have made a huge difference

[@charlescohen6140]

Watch how low his handle gets. Unusual and it’s in wonder he has a great assist to turnover ratio.

[@riroballs]

True. great body control that doesn't change speed as well even when in traffic.

[@charlescohen6140]

@@riroballs Apologize for the typing. Going to be an interesting off-season.

[@riroballs]

no worries mate!

[@61Wolves-yt4yk]

D fence ..D fence !!!

[@TheMusicGuard]

The Thunder's best draft pick is Ajay Mitchell. Best footwork in the entire draft class by some distance.

[@FrmThaMont]

I Think You Sleep On Topić Bro Which I Understand I Was Too I Had To Go Do A Lot Of Homework .. Topić Is A Top 5 Pick In This Draft Every Time If Healthy .. But I Do Like Ajax A Lot 1st Round Talent As Well

[@charlescohen6140]

And read Sam’s comments on his maturity and intelligence which are critical points to Sam.

[@T0NYST4RK84]

In Presti we trust

[@benfanning921]

The players he drafts will have a career in NBA … but we need two big men

[@riroballs]

we might pick up some in free agency or maybe not

[@aspleen1102]

OKC did really great (understatement) in the free agency and trading market... But Topic is not the guy they should have drafted imo (I'm not an OKC fan)

[@ballinwitac6090]

I'd actually wouldn't be opposed to trading Lu Dort next year if Dillon Jones develops I'd put In the G league for 2 years and then trade Dort. Which I know sucks but I'd rather have Jones in 2 years over Dort talking about the cap situation

[@tombrokow8181]

Zivela Srbija i Nikola.

[@coolguy45699]

I actually am not a fan of the pick as a thunder fan. We have way too many gaurds right now, just seems silly.

[@riroballs]

and that's fine! we'll see how this all plays out

[@justahebrew]

MAKE 3s OR TRADE HIM ⚡⚡⚡ THUNDER UP ⚡⚡⚡

[@riroballs]

too early for that but yeah Thunder Up ⚡

[@joeldriver-sp2rg]

Still not understanding why they didn't take Filipowski from Duke at #12 because he seemingly fits the team perfectly and is a more skilled overall player than Hartenstein but since they at least got another big now it addresses a huge problem that was exposed against Dallas. I also don't get why Presti didn't just keep Lively in the first place because he would have been perfect for what they needed. You put Lively on that team last year and OKC most certainly would have beat Dallas and at least played for a championship.

[@riroballs]

Flip actually fell to the 2nd round. Just might not be the target for the front office all along

[@rozzelli6924]

believe me if they wanted him they would’ve got him they traded back into the first and still skipped him

[@georgevarden1291]

Because Filipowski ceiling is Olynk at best.lol

[@Vickypabz]

I don’t think he can contribute more to the team 😅

[@riroballs]

But why not?

[@BillLup-eb7lt]

Your first mistake was thinking. Enough said

[@bogzteevee]

Second 😅

[@riroballs]

😁

[@macmosley8250]

First!!!

[@riroballs]

💪

[@lesterjohntalde296]

Filipowski best

[@chuckcheesy6325]

same people who called the Cason Wallace selection a mistake last year will be proven wrong again. people think they know better than the front office lol

[@tombrokow8181]

Serbs are the best white players in the world. Good investment by OKC GM.

[@sanket518]

1 year from now when OKC will exit in first round Sam presti will say 'I missed on Dalton Knecht, Kalel Ware and Kyle filipowski' 😂😂😂😂😂 Apparantly he himself does not know what he is doing by drafting all the guards and Gordon trade was proof of that 😂😂😂😂😂

[@macmosley8250]

Never doubt Presti

[@tyrrellcayton3609]

The youngest 1 seed and youngest team to win a playoff series is gonna become a first round exit after all the playoff experience they just got? What a moronic take lol

[@BillLup-eb7lt]

You must be a casual

[@BillLup-eb7lt]

When the lakers are a lottery pick team with that chump bronny who is at best a g league waterboy you will be drooling over the thunder dynasty winning 20 straight chips.

[@joereyna1116]

OKC will fall apart

[@Rj20]

How we are already better than we were last season with just Caruso 🤣🤣🤣

[@joereyna1116]

@@Rj20 knocked out of playoffs again

[@chuckcheesy6325]

there's something called internal development btw

[@joereyna1116]

@@chuckcheesy6325 what a name you have 🤣

[@chuckcheesy6325]

@@joereyna1116 thanks. been with me since birth

[@jonchimpo]

dumbest thunder draft ever 👎👎👎

[@macmosley8250]

lol same thing armchair GMs said when Presti drafted Cason Wallace last year.. random guys trying to act like they know better than a real team executive

[@jonchimpo]

@@macmosley8250 lol, you were probably one of the stans crying when giddey was traded

[@macmosley8250]

@@jonchimpo nope. not gonna cry about a trade that makes the team better.. but you out here crying about a draft selection is hilarious...

[@jonchimpo]

@@macmosley8250 lol and you dick-riding presti is 😂 hilarious 😂

[@jonchimpo]

@@macmosley8250 lol and you’re crying about a thunder fan keeping it real. you’re a pathetic presti stan that knows nothing about ball.

[@unkownknob]

In Presti we trust