OKC Thunder 2025 NBA Draft Primer

The confetti isn't swept up yet. The Paycom Center still smells of sweet champagne. The roar of the Thunder faithful echoes the streets of Bricktown from Tuesday's parade that barely had time to end before focus shifted fully to the NBA Draft.

The NBA calendar waits for no one. Not even the 2025 NBA champs. The Oklahoma City Thunder owns three picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, including two in Wednesday's first round. In mere hours, commissioner Adam Silver will waltz across the Barclays Center to place the Dallas Mavericks on the clock with the No. 1 pick.

Don't bother speculating, or even tuning in right at 7:00 PM CT to ESPN's broadcast of the draft. The No. 1 pick will be put on the clock in name only. The man on the moon knows the Mavericks are selecting Duke prodigy Cooper Flagg.

However, don't wait too long to tap into the draft. Past the top two picks, it is anyone's guess what will happen starting with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will be active. On Day 1, the Thunder own picks No. 15 and 24, for now. In Round 2, they sit with No. 44.

Sam Presti is a madman. The architect of the Thunder's first-ever championship is already locked away in the war room, planning for the next additions to Oklahoma City. Everything is on the table. Staying put, moving up and trading out. Only time will tell.

While Oklahoma City's fanbase is still punch drunk from a title, today's draft is a massive one. For the Thunder to pull off the dynastic run that the Bricktown faithful fantasize about, they have to nail these picks.

Under the new CBA, cost-controlled contributors are the currency of the NBA. It is impossible to pull off sustained success without rookie-scale players putting their fingerprints on wins to supplement big paydays at the top of rosters.

Here is everything you need to know about the 2025 NBA Draft as it relates to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

OKC Thunder Picks in 2025 NBA Draft

• No. 15
• No. 24
• No. 44

Team Needs

It is hard to convince anyone around town that the Thunder still have holes to fill after watching them parade around town with the Larry O'Brien trophy. The first professional sports championship in Oklahoma City's history. However, that is what makes the OKC Thunder's title so terrifying for the rest of the league, they can still get better.

The Thunder's first improvement from this championship season will simply come internally. For as boring of an answer as that is, look no further than this postseason. Jalen Williams brought his game to a different level with a more aggressive mentality and playing forcefully. Chet Holmgren was a stellar defender, but has shown way more on the offensive end than he did in these Finals. That is to be expected. Holmgren broke his hip this calendar year. He will be better. Cason Wallace is only in year two, Ajay Mitchell was a rookie, no one has seen Nikola Topic play stateside yet. The list goes on.

Still, some archetypes are missing from Oklahoma City. Quite literally, champagne problems.

If the Thunder can acquire a true power forward, one who still owns the modern-day versatility that Oklahoma City looks for with more size/bulk than the Bricktown Ballers possess, that would be a home run for Presti and company.

Oklahoma City can also stand to add in a deadly distance shooter. The Thunder roster plenty of capable shooters, but very few who you trust will knock down the triple as the ball leaves their hands in a big spot. Filling that hole in the draft will be tough, but not impossible.

While many will point to playmaking after watching the Thunder's half-court offense creep to a crawl in the postseason, it is important to remember what is in-house. Topic can easily fill that void. Mitchell was taking the reins of a secondary creator perfectly in his rookie season prior to injury. Those two guys are worthy bets in that department entering the 2025-26 season.

Known OKC Thunder Workouts

The Oklahoma City Thunder do not release its list of draft workouts. These names leak out via social media and reporting from media members.

• Cedric Coward, Washington State
• Kobe Sanders, Nevada
• Danny Wolf, Michigan
• Dakota Leffew, Georgie
• Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M
• Johni Broome, Auburn
• Deivon Smith, St. John's
• Gabe Madsen, Utah
• Egor Demin, BYU
• Jabri Abdur-Rahim, Providence
• Norchad Omier, Baylor
• Aaron Scott, St. John's
• Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, UC San Diego
• Michah Peavy, Georgetown
• Liam McNeely, UCONN

Mock Drafts

• ESPN: No. 15 Derik Queen (Maryland), No. 24 Will Riley (Illinois), No. 44 Johni Broome (Auburn)
• Draft Digest: No. 15 Thomas Sober (Georgetown), No. 24 Drake Powell (UNC), No. 44 Kobe Sanders (Nevada)
• CBS: No. 15 Derik Queen (Maryland), No. 24 Thomas Sober (Georgetown), No. 44 N/A
• The Ringer: No. 15 Collin Murray-Boyles (South Carolina), No. 24 Noah Penda (LNB Elite), No. 44 N/A
• Yahoo: No. 15 Cedric Coward (Washington State), No. 24 Maxime Raynaud (Stanford), No. 44 Alijah Martin (Florida)
• The Athletic: No. 15 Collin Murray-Boyles (South Carolina), No. 24 Hugo Gonzalez (Real Madrid), No. 44 John Tonje (Wisconsin)

Relevant Links

• Wishlist for the OKC Thunder in 2025 NBA Draft following NBA Title
• OKC Thunder could aim to trade up in NBA Draft
• Why Carter Bryant would be perfect Fit for OKC Thunder
• Why Cedric Coward would be perfect fit for OKC Thunder
• Potential First round picks for OKC Thunder
• Why OKC Thunder should at least consider Walter Clayton Jr.
• Should age become just a number for OKC Thunder in 2025 NBA Draft under new CBA?

Predictions

• Rylan Stiles, Beat Writer: No. 15 Thomas Sorber (Georgetown), No. 24 Nique Clifford (Colorado State)
• Derek Parker, Publisher: No. 15 Cedric Coward (Washington State), No. 24 Noah Penda (LNB Elite)
• Nick Crain, Publisher: No. 15 Cedric Coward (Washington State), No. 24 Rasheer Flemming (St. Joseph's)
• Randall Sweet, Staff Writer: No. 15 Cedric Coward (Washington State), No. 24 Maxime Raynaud (Stanford)

Stay tuned to Thunder on SI for complete coverage of the 2025 NBA Draft.