The Oklahoma City Thunder are only one game into their 2021-22 campaign, yet the franchise is already probably already looking at the 2022 NBA Draft. For all intents and purposes, the Thunder aren't looking to stay competitive this season as they look to secure more ping pong balls for the lottery. In addition, they will use this year to develop the young talent on their squad and see which ones could be part of Sam Presti's long-term plan to eventually build a contender through the draft.
This past summer, the Thunder made some steps as they slowly inch their way toward that goal. They committed themselves to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander by extending the star shooting guard to a massive, 5-year $172 million deal, making him the centerpiece of their future. Oklahoma City also selected Australian guard Josh Giddey with the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. With the tank still in tow, it will be interesting to see just what will transpire in OKC this season. Here are five big questions for the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 2021-22 NBA season.
5 big Oklahoma City Thunder questions for 2021-22 NBA season?
5. Will Sam Presti trade for more picks?
With his moves over the last couple of years, it definitely seems like Sam Presti has some kind of obsession with draft picks. Jokes aside, this is all part of whatever his version of “The Process” is for this Thunder franchise. Presti has amassed a boatload of draft assets, which includes 14 first-round picks over the next five years. With the way he's going, it's worth wondering if he will ever be done. Will Presti continue filling up Oklahoma City's already filled-to-the-brim cupboard of draft capital?
4. Will the lack of a veteran presence hurt the young players' growth?
Just by looking at the Thunder's roster, it wouldn't take long for anybody to realize that Oklahoma City is the youngest team in the NBA. Their oldest players are Derrick Favors and Mike Muscala, both 30-year-olds. The rest of the roster is 26 years old or younger. Over half are below the age of 22. With the current roster construction, one could think whether their lack of veteran presence would hurt the development of some of these young guys down the line.
It's easy to forget that some of these Thunder players are just kids. Even if guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Luguentz Dort are considered the veterans of this team, they are still just 23 years old and may still need some guidance themselves. Favors and Muscala should be able to offer that, but it will be more beneficial to this young squad if they could have a few more veterans they can run to for guidance and help.
3. How will the players take all the losing?
The Thunder front office is definitely hoping to get as many losses as possible this upcoming campaign. That is the main pathway in landing a high pick in next year's NBA draft. But with that goal in mind, let us not forget that these players are competitors to the core. No athlete wants to go out there and lose all the time. That's why it will be interesting to see just how long will some of the players be able to take in all of the losing. This could have a demoralizing effect on some of these young guys, or perhaps this experience could end up making their characters stronger in the long run.
2. Who will stand out from their young core?
Aside from the team's anointed franchise star Gilgeous-Alexandar and its prized 2021 sixth-overall pick Josh Giddey, OKC has an abundance of other young prospects on the roster. Luguentz Dort made a name for himself as a rookie back in 2019-20 when he was tasked to guard James Harden in the 2020 postseason. Aleksej Pokusevski is an intriguing, high-upside 7-footer. Darius Bazley is a supreme athlete that showed strides in his sophomore campaign last year. Theo Maledon had a solid rookie campaign and got plenty of opportunities in his debut season. These are just some of the young prospects the Thunder have that could make a leap this season. The question is, who among them will?
1. Will Sam Presti cash in some of his assets for a trade?
There are rumors that the Thunder are interested in acquiring Collin Sexton from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Adding the 22-year old makes a lot of sense as he fits into their timeline. At the same time, Sexton has already established himself as an absolute bucket in this league. Pairing him with a two-way guard like Gilgeous-Alexander seems like a perfect fit. If Cleveland doesn't see Sexton as part of the future they are building, then Oklahoma City could swoop in and get their hands on a multi-skilled efficient scorer.
Sexton is just one potential trade target for the Thunder. Perhaps they could also try to target Sacramento Kings big man Marvin Bagley, who apparently has lost his spot in coach Luke Walton's rotation. With all of the assets Sam Presti has at his disposal, one has to think that it is only a matter of time before he cashes in on some of the 14 draft picks that Oklahoma City owns over the next half-decade.
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