RookieWire writer Cody Taylor released his first 2023 NBA mock draft on Monday. The upcoming draft class is headlined by French phenom Victor Wembanyama — who goes first overall to the Sacramento Kings.
At pick No. 2, the Oklahoma City Thunder select Scoot Henderson. The G League Ignite guard is viewed as the second-best prospect in the very early stages of the 2023 draft process.
“When Henderson joined the Ignite last year at 17, he became the youngest professional basketball player in the United States after signing a two-year contract. The former No. 10 prospect in the class of 2022 averaged 13.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals in 18 games with the Ignite last season. He was among their prospects to participate in the NBA Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend, joining MarJon Beauchamp, Dyson Daniels and Jaden Hardy. Henderson has exceptional athleticism and shined in creating for himself and others. With another season in the G League, Henderson looks to be a lock to be a top-three pick.”
This is an interesting choice as the Thunder already has two high-profile guards in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, so adding another to the mix could complicate rotations and lineups.
There’s always the option that the Thunder could move on from one of Gilgeous-Alexander or Giddey in this scenario, with the former being the more likely candidate due to age and contract.
