Why the NBA Draft's Second Round Could be Important for OKC Thunder

The first round of the 2025 NBA Draft went about as good as it could have for the OKC Thunder, selecting Georgetown big man Thomas Sorber with the No. 15 pick. He fits perfectly, and will likely be a contributing piece on this team.

Now, with the second round on the way shortly, the Thunder have the opportunity to do what they do best and hit on a second-round prospect. They have the No. 44 overall pick as of now and will have some options as to who they can take.

There are obviously options, but the idea of using this pick should be exciting for the Thunder and their management. OKC has had plenty of success with second-round picks in recent memory and they have another opportunity to do so.

In recent memory, the Thunder have found ways to utilize Ajay Mitchell, the No. 38 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Aaron Wiggins, the No. 55 pick in 2021, Jaylin Williams, the No. 34 pick in 2022, along with wing Lu Dort, who was undrafted.

So far, those are all contributing players. They found ways to help out on an NBA-championship-winning team, regardless of their draft position. This is becoming a common theme and arguably, no team is better at developing second-round and undrafted players than Oklahoma City.

This should make the upcoming round, along with the undrafted signing portion of the draft process, very intriguing. There's no predicting who could fall to the Thunder at the No. 44 pick, or if they'll move up or down. It'll be even harder to try and predict who they take on as undrafted free agents, but those could also be exciting players.

All at the same time, the odds of a second-round player not hitting or becoming a rotational player are higher than not. If he goes through Oklahoma City's developmental program for a season or two, those chances might be higher.

The other good thing about a second-round player is the contract. He won't certainly hold up a roster spot, which is good given the Thunder don't have any. This said player will be able to develop in the G League and by the chance that he can move up, they will have that choice.

The second round of the draft will kick off at 7 p.m. CT at the Barclays Center, with the Thunder currently picking at No. 44.