The Oklahoma City Thunder are selecting 14th in the coming 2015 NBA Draft but do they really need it?
Considering the team is loaded with talent, the only weak spot could perhaps be at the backcourt but not as urgent as other teams right now. But if they want insurance or reliable backups who could be the ballclub's future then leave it to Sam Presti to buckle down to work.
Presti has been effective in the selection of draftees despite coming in the bottom part of the draft. Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson came in during 2008 and 2011 respectively, both ironically picked at 24. So will the Thunder trade down its 14th pick for the 24th?
Why on earth would they? Well for one, there is a big disparity in terms of salary. The 14th pick is guaranteed a first year salary of $1.68 million which will eventually bumped up to $1.76 million next season. The 24th, a lower pick, will of course be cheaper and the savings could be used somewhere else by the Thunder.
So in the end, it may all about audit and properly managing the team's finances while also securing promising picks that could be surprises once again like Jackson and Ibaka.
Whichever pick they end up using, who could they possibly land. Surely that won't be Emmanuel Mudiay or D'Angelo Russell who may likely be picked at 3rd and/or 4th. So who is left.
Some names that could be still available by that time could be R.J. Hunter of Georgia State, Jerian Grant of Notre Dame, Terry Rozier of Louisville, Kelly Oubre of Kansas or Justin Anderson of Virginia.
The five mentioned are a mix of shooting and leadership. If the Thunder are looking for more shooters to compliment the current crop and open the lane for their inside operators, Hunter, Oubre and Anderson are likely draws.
On the other hand, if the Thunder are worried about losing Reggie Jackson, Grant and Rozier could be worth checking out.
Though there is no guarantee either that any or all of them would be available by the time the Thunder pick, those are likely spots Presti may want to consider. Can he use his magic touch once again and pull out a steal from the draft?
