The Oklahoma City Thunder have a rare opportunity to win a championship and draft a lottery-level talent at a position of need in a span of mere weeks. It’s a unique example of arguably the best team in the NBA having a chance to not only solidify its future, but do so in a sustainable manner.
In possession of the Nos. 15 and 24 overall selections at the 2025 NBA Draft, the rich could get richer—and, more specifically, the Thunder could find their center of the future.
Oklahoma City boasts one of the deepest rosters in the NBA. Led by 2024-25 league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-Star wing Jalen Williams, and unicorn Chet Holmgren, the Thunder have high-level talent at every position—and a more than adequate backup to round the rotation into form.
The one position at which the Thunder can be accused of lacking ideal depth, however, is center—and the 2025 NBA Draft could give them the opportunity to rectify that issue.
Even if one were to oppose the belief that depth is an issue at the 5-spot, there’s a future challenge awaiting Oklahoma City that it must get out in front of. Isaiah Hartenstein’s non-guaranteed 2026-27 salary coincides with when Holmgren and Williams’ inevitable extensions will kick in—and there isn’t a clear successor in sight.
As such, the time has never been better for the Thunder to find a cost-efficient center to develop into Hartenstein’s long-term replacement. Thankfully, there are captivating options.
Thunder must utilize NBA Draft to improve long-term outlook at center
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The Oklahoma City Thunder have a rare opportunity to win a championship and draft a lottery-level talent at a position of need in a span of mere weeks. It’s a unique example of arguably the best team in the NBA having a chance to not only solidify its future, but do so in a sustainable manner.
In possession of the Nos. 15 and 24 overall selections at the 2025 NBA Draft, the rich could get richer—and, more specifically, the Thunder could find their center of the future.
Oklahoma City boasts one of the deepest rosters in the NBA. Led by 2024-25 league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-Star wing Jalen Williams, and unicorn Chet Holmgren, the Thunder have high-level talent at every position—and a more than adequate backup to round the rotation into form.
The one position at which the Thunder can be accused of lacking ideal depth, however, is center—and the 2025 NBA Draft could give them the opportunity to rectify that issue.
Even if one were to oppose the belief that depth is an issue at the 5-spot, there’s a future challenge awaiting Oklahoma City that it must get out in front of. Isaiah Hartenstein’s non-guaranteed 2026-27 salary coincides with when Holmgren and Williams’ inevitable extensions will kick in—and there isn’t a clear successor in sight.
As such, the time has never been better for the Thunder to find a cost-efficient center to develop into Hartenstein’s long-term replacement. Thankfully, there are captivating options.
Thunder must utilize NBA Draft to improve long-term outlook at center
The center position is deeper than usual in an intriguing 2025 NBA Draft class. Playmaking big Derik Queen is viewed as one of the top prospects on the board, combining traditional strengths such as his physicality and rebounding with skills that can be categorized as finesse.
Khaman Maluach, meanwhile, stands at just under 7’1″ with a near 7’7″ wingspan and a 9’8″ standing reach—physical attributes that scream defensive anchor.
Danny Wolf checks in at 6’10.5″ with a 7’2.25″ wingspan and a well-rounded offensive skill set that includes range on his jump shot, proficiency on the ball, and impressive vision as a passer. If that’s not your cup of tea, Thomas Sorber boasts a 7’6″ wingspan and all of the tools to be a traditional interior menace.
Rasheer Fleming, who has a 7’5.25″ wingspan and a three-point field goal percentage of 39.0 on 159 attempts from 2024-25, is yet another example of how significant the upside is in this class.
No matter who the Thunder opt to target—and it may very well be someone else entirely—the point stands that there’s a real opportunity to secure the future at center. Oklahoma City has an abundance of future draft picks, but 2025 has a surplus of options at a position of need.
Unless the Thunder have a trade in mind that would include their 2025 draft capital, it would thus behoove Sam Presti to make the most of this opportunity.
The No. 15 pick will make an estimated $22,512,733 across four seasons, while the No. 24 selection would be owed an expected $15,769,801 during that same time, per Spotrac’s rookie scale projections. Having that type of cost-efficient talent on the roster could go a long way toward offsetting the financial burden of potentially paying three max-level players.
Other options to improve the depth at center may exist, but this is as team-friendly a cost to incur as any that the Thunder can plan for—with the potential for a significant long-term return.
