Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti is in an incredibly busy part of the NBA cycle, that being the NBA Draft season. Though scouting is a year-long process, the draft is getting closer and closer and Presti has to decide what player he wants to draft.
Presti works hard in silence, and not much comes out from the Thunder’s front office. Reportedly, Presti has promised Mets 92’s Bilal Coulibaly, the 6-foot-6 wing that could land later in the lottery, right where the Thunder pick.
As an 18-year-old, Coulibaly makes sense as a pick for the Thunder. He fits the prototypical “Presti player” that has solid upside as a prospect. Not only that, but it’s hard to imagine Presti watching this matchup for any other reason, unless he’s dreaming of a scenario where he’s drafting Victor Wembanyama.
There’s a wild assortment of ways the 2023 Draft could end up for the Thunder. There’s the potential of trading up or down in the draft. Or, as the Thunder have done with pick No. 37, trading the pick back for a first-round pick years down the road. However, given the recent reports of a supposed draft promise to Coulibaly from Presti, and Presti being seen at his game, it seems as if the Thunder will stand pat and pick at pick No. 12 in this draft.
For Presti to still be on the road scouting prospects, it’s hard to imagine a promise having already been given out. If that were the case, Presti would have no business being in France right now.
Also, there’s no track record or history of the Thunder giving out draft promises and having it come out of the front office ahead of the draft. In fact, the Thunder have been sporadic with their picks over the years and Presti seems to be incredibly hard to predict when it comes to draft season.
The report of the Thunder having given Coulibaly a promise may not be accurate or true, as it could be any team in the Lottery hanging around the backend of the lottery, but it should be a good sign for Coulibaly that Presti took the time to watch him play in France.
Unfortunately, Mets 92 and Coulibaly were swept off the floor in a blowout loss, as Coulibaly shot 1-for-5 from the field.
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