The Oklahoma City Thunder have traded one of their three draft night picks in the 2023 Draft. But this draft could run deep, and solid talent will be found late. However, the Thunder could ultimately benefit from the trade.
The Thunder are left with pick No. 12 and pick No. 50 in this draft. With a late second rounder, the Thunder are unlikely to find another early productive piece, as they’ve seen in Aaron Wiggins, who was pick No. 55 in the 2021 NBA Draft. The mindset for the Thunder may be different this time around.
UCLA guard Jaylen Clark may be the perfect match for the Thunder in the second round. Assuming their twelfth pick – or wherever they draft pending any trades – pans out from the first round, there may not be room for instant minutes for a late second rounder.
Fortunately, Clark is a prospect that is going to take work in a good way. His game is unfinished, but he has all of the tangibles. He’s got the frame to work with, the athleticism and effort to pan out.
With a pick in this range, the Thunder should have low expectations and assume said prospect – Clark in this case – will take one year at minimum in the G League. Of course, injuries can happen and the Thunder would play him to get checkpoints, as they did with Ousmane Dieng.
The pairing of Clark and the Thunder make sense from a development standpoint, too. With a quick leap and incredible effort, Clark is a solid defender in his 6-foot-5 frame, something the Thunder would be able to find ways to utilize early.
While Clark may not be the most offensively gifted, he’s a hard worker that is going to find his ways to get baskets, and that trait fits what the Thunder have been able to maximize on recently.
With the Thunder likely not playing their late second-round pick early on in his career, whoever they pick will get opportunities, and with Clark being an older rookie, he may be one of the prospects at this range that can capitalize on said opportunities.
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