The Oklahoma City Thunder continues to solidify their young core with the addition of a pair of rookies in the 2023 NBA draft.
After trading up with the Dallas Mavericks, the Thunder drafted Kentucky guard Cason Wallace with the No. 10 pick. 40 picks later at the No. 50 spot, the Thunder drafted Kansas State forward Keyontae Johnson.
It was a relatively quiet night for the Thunder, as they came away with just two players in the 58-man draft. Nonetheless, it was a solid haul for OKC.
Let’s look at what grades were handed to the Thunder by various analysts across the NBA media world.
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton: B+
“I liked Wallace as a top-10 prospect on the strength of his on-ball defense and ability to generate steals. The Thunder agreed, moving up two spots by taking on Davis Bertans’ contract in order to assure they got their guy. It will be interesting to see how Wallace fits into a backcourt that already includes recent lottery picks Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams plus Lu Dort, but Thunder coach Mark Daigneault isn’t afraid to play multiple guards together.
Remarkably, second-round pick Johnson is older (23) than eight of his new Oklahoma City teammates, including 2020 first-round pick Aleksej Pokusevski.”
USA TODAY’s For The Win: B+
“I think the Wallace pick is super smart.”
New York Post: B
“At No. 10, the Thunder get arguably the best perimeter defender in the draft in Cason Wallace of Kentucky after moving up from No. 12.
There is untapped offensive potential with Wallace, who averaged 4.3 assists and shot 34.6 percent from long range on four attempts per game as a freshman, to match his defensive prowess.”
The Score: B+
“Cason Wallace gives the Thunder another tough perimeter stopper to pair with Luguentz Dort. The Kentucky product is a smothering on-ball defender and can guard up and down the lineup. He finished fourth in the SEC last season with 64 steals. Wallace has the flexibility to play on and off the ball, allowing him to be deployed alongside either Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Josh Giddey. While Wallace isn’t a natural playmaker, he’s more than capable of subbing in at the point when Gilgeous-Alexander or Giddey sits.”
NBC Sports Edge: C
“The Thunder took some chances on older prospects, and given how many future first-round picks the organization still holds, they can afford to swing for the fences. Wallace was a solid lottery selection who brings great defense to the table. He could see some minutes off the bench, but it’s unlikely any of these three players make noticeable impacts in Year 1.”
CBS Sports: B
“OKC’s front office is never afraid to package picks to move up when it sees a player it likes, and they found their man this year in Wallace, a hard-defending, playmaking point guard who should be able to play alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and/or Josh Giddey. This may have been a bit high for Wallace, but if that’s the player they wanted, they certainly had the assets to use. Johnson is an efficient scorer, but turned the ball over at a high clip in college and isn’t known as a lockdown defender.”
Sports Illustrated’s Draft Digest: B+
“Oklahoma City continued their streak of draft night trades on Thursday, this time jumping up two spots to grab Kentucky guard Cason Wallace.
Despite already having a guard-heavy roster, Wallace is sure to fit in solidly with OKC as a do-it-all archetype, playing stingy defense and toggling between shooting guard and point guard. Alongside defensive stalwarts like Luguentz Dort and Chet Holmgren, Wallace should thrive.
Johnson provides OKC an interesting option to contend for playing time near the bottom of the roster.”
