With the Oklahoma City Thunder entering the offseason, it’s time to switch gears to prospect evaluation mode.
And this year’s impending draft has plenty of players that can help bolster the OKC core.
No matter how unlikely it is Oklahoma City lands certain prospects, the Thunder Fit series will take a look at how they would fit with the current team’s configuration. And with a war chest of assets, you never know how far the front office could move up to acquire a player.
The fifth prospect in the series will be Jarace Walker, who is projected to have a draft range somewhere in the five to ten range. Walker could be highly coveted come draft night 2023, but he’s the first in this series that OKC could realistically get by offloading some serious assets.
Here’s how Walker could fit alongside the rest of the Thunder core:
Offense
Firstly, Walker is likely the best and most seamless fit for Oklahoma City on both sides of the ball. A stout 6-foot-9, 240-pounds, Walker is a solidly built power forward who helped the Houston Cougars to one of their best seasons in years, all as a freshman.
Offensively, he scored 11.2 points and dished out 1.8 assists per game, shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from three.
In Houston’s high-octane offense, he functioned primarily off-ball, cutting, getting out in transition and being used sparingly while posting up and as a spot-up shooter. Coupled with his high-level passing and play making ability, it made him a perfectly projected glue piece for the NBA.
The interesting part is his on-bal, face-up game, which he showed in spurts in college and much more in high school.
His high-feel play and ability to thrive off-ball, and potentially on-ball down the line, would make him a potent addition to OKC’s ranks.
Defense
Walker might just be the best defender in the class at the present moment (prior to a future Victor Wembanyama surge). And his fit next to Chet Holmgren in the front court is, again, a seamless one.
He’s versatile, mobile, instinctual, has great footwork and active hands. He averaged 1.3 blocks and one steal per game with Houston, helping anchor the best defense in the country at just 19-years-old.
Walker is an elite weak-side rim protector and projects to be highly switchable, which in Oklahoma City’s system, would keep him on the floor.
Suffice to say, Walker likely checks all the boxes for the Thunder, he just might be out of their price range come draft night.
More must-reads: