Who the Oklahoma City Thunder Should Target in the 2015 NBA Draft

It is weird to talk about the Oklahoma City Thunder and the NBA draft this early in the year, but the team's rare appearance in the lottery could be a blessing in disguise after a disastrous season. It allows one of the game's best drafters in general manager Sam Presti to brush his shoulders off and land a prospect he wouldn't normally have the chance at taking.

Since taking over as the team's GM in 2007, Presti has shown a keen eye for finding talent, regardless of where he's picking in the draft. He's found superstars in the top five such as Kevin Durant (No. 2, 2007), Russell Westbrook (No. 4, 2008) and James Harden (No. 3, 2009). He's also pulled off a couple of steals late in the first round with Serge Ibaka (No. 24, 2008) and Reggie Jackson (No. 24, 2011). 

This time around, Presti doesn't need to swing for the fence. OKC would be just fine with either a young small forward who could back up Durant or a point guard to groom behind Westbrook. 

The Thunder have a less than 1 percent (0.5, to be exact) chance of nabbing the first overall pick and a 1.8 percent shot at landing in the top three, per NBA.com. Still, the more likely scenario is the club staying at No. 14. 

With the odds of landing someone like Duke's Jahlil Okafor or Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns extremely long, the focus here will be on players OKC has a realistic chance at drafting in the latter part of the lottery. 

Tyus Jones, Point Guard, Duke

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Tyus Jones left quite a mark on the college game in his lone season at Duke, notching 217 assists (second in the ACC), 59 steals (fourth) and posting an offensive rating of 125 (fourth), per Sports-Reference.com. He contributed 11.8 points, averaged 5.6 assists to just 1.9 turnovers per game and won the award for the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player en route to helping the Blue Devils win the national title. 

However, Jones is still young—he doesn't turn 19 until May—and will need time to develop before being thrown to the wolves in the NBA. He would also benefit from adding a little bulk to his 6'1", 190-pound frame. Ideally, the best landing spot for Jones will be a team that doesn't need him to contribute right away. 

Meanwhile, the Thunder could use an upgrade at the backup point guard spot. Veteran D.J. Augustin was a non-factor when the team needed him down the stretch, averaging just 5.1 points in the final 14 games of the season, and his defensive rating of 110 make him a bad long-term option. 

With Russell Westbrook assuming a lion's share of the minutes and Augustin under contract for one more season, OKC could essentially redshirt Jones his rookie year and allow him to learn from one of the best in Westbrook. 

When he's ready, Jones has the skills to be a key contributor, according to Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman: 

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He's quick and sharp enough off the dribble, and his passing instincts are terrific. Jones' ability to knock down pull-up jumpers and connect from behind the arc also bode well for his outlook. He'll have the opportunity to give a team a solid, reliable back-up point guard and playmaker off the bench. 

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Coincidentally, Wasserman believes Jones could have a career similar to Augustin's, the man he could eventually replace. 

Cameron Payne, Point Guard, Murray State

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If Oklahoma City is looking for someone a little more pro-ready, Murray State's Cameron Payne has the chance to follow in Damian Lillard's footsteps as the next elite lesser-known point guard prospect. As a sophomore, Payne averaged 20.2 points, 6.0 assists and 1.9 steals, while finishing with a true shooting percentage of 57.3 percent. 

Payne could develop into a weapon off the bench for the Thunder, as he possesses an innate ability to create offense for both himself and others, as Wasserman points out. 

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He's a threat to score or pass out of every situation. As a sophomore, Payne hit 84 threes and 99 two-point jumpers (at a 45.6 percent clip, per Hoop-Math.com) consisting of pull-ups, runners and floaters. And he's terrific dishing or scoring out of pick-and-rolls and creating shots for teammates in transition, where he picked up 45 percent of his assists. 

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According to CBS Sports' Sam Vecenie, Payne is also dangerous in transition. 

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Despite playing at only the 83rd fastest pace in America this season, Murray State actually had the eighth-most points per game in transition this season at 19.3. Payne was the largest part of that by constantly keeping his eyes up and looking to attack. He is much better as a passer in transition than he is in the halfcourt, picking up 72 of his 209 assists this season there despite transition plays only accounting for 21 percent of Murray State's offense.

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Granted, Payne's stats didn't come against the toughest competition, but neither did Lillard's during his time at Weber State or Stephen Curry's at Davidson. Both have managed to become productive players in the pros, though it's unfair to Payne to project he'll have a similar career. 

The bigger concern should be Payne's need to hit the weight room, as he's a little on the skinny side at 6'3" and 185 pounds. With time to grow into his body, he could become a solid contributor both playing behind and alongside Russell Westbrook. 

Frank Kaminsky, Power Forward/Center, Wisconsin

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Sure, the Thunder are pretty set up front with Serge Ibaka, Steven Adams, Mitch McGary, Nick Collison and the potential return of restricted free agent Enes Kanter. But, if reigning AP Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky is still on the board when OKC is on the clock, how do you pass up a prospect with his credentials?  

As a senior, Frank the Tank averaged 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while carrying Wisconsin to the national title game. He led the country with a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 34.4 and showed some nice shooting touch for a big man by knocking down 41.6 percent of his three-point attempts. 

DraftExpress.com's Jonathan Givony has more on the talented 7-footer:

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What makes Kaminsky a unique prospect revolves heavily around the versatility and efficiency he displays on the offensive end. He is a matchup problem every time he steps on the court, an extremely skilled 7-footer who opposing teams need to game-plan for at all times. His ability to handle, shoot, pass and score from anywhere on the floor gives him terrific flexibility to be utilized in different lineups and half-court sets, which is increasingly valuable and sought after in today's NBA game.

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That's the good news. Here's Givony's bad news. 

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Beyond that, there are some question marks Kaminsky will have to answer as he makes the transition to the NBA game. The biggest one is on defense, where he was mostly utilized as a center by Wisconsin, but will likely need to adjust to guarding smaller players on the perimeter at the power forward spot. Stepping out and staying in front of quicker players is often challenging for a 7-footer, and Kaminsky's average length and explosiveness won't help much on that front.

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The Thunder could handle the potential selection of Kaminsky in one of two ways. Much like they did with Kanter, they could use the Badgers big man as strictly an offensive weapon and hide his defensive shortcomings by pairing him with someone like Adams or Ibaka. 

OKC could also draft Kaminsky and use him as trade bait. In the right hands, a rookie with his unique set of skills could develop into a productive pro. While the Thunder don't have many scoring big men, there isn't room for Kaminsky on the depth chart, and the team might benefit from turning his vast potential into another piece down the road, as they did with Eric Bledsoe back in 2010.

Bledsoe was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers on draft day for a future first-round pick, which was used a year later to acquire Kendrick Perkins. 

Sam Dekker, Small Forward, Wisconsin

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

With Kevin Durant's durability a concern, the Thunder would be wise to find a quality backup who could step in and contribute right away. Kyle Singler is a restricted free agent, and while he would like to stick around, the team should explore other options. Perry Jones is also on the roster, but he has failed to produce consistently during his three years in the pros. 

Fortunately for OKC, small forward is one of the deeper positions in this year's draft, and Wisconsin's Sam Dekker could be a solid addition late in the lottery. According to Wasserman, Dekker may not possess the star power of high-profile teammate Frank Kaminsky, but he could excel as a jack-of-all-trades contributor. 

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Despite going off as a scorer the final five games for Wisconsin, he still projects as a do-it-all role player, with the ability to make open shots, handle the ball, pass, finish and defend...Dekker's versatility could work well in a glue-guy role that doesn't require him to create. And with above-average athleticism and great 6'9" size for a wing, he should have a solid physical advantage most nights. 

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The biggest knock on Dekker is his lack of a consistent outside jumper. He famously went 0-of-6 from deep against Duke in the national title game and finished his junior season with a 33.1 percent mark from behind the arc. 

If he can find the rhythm he had as a freshman (39.1 percent), he could carve his niche on the second unit and may even be a worthwhile option as a small-ball power forward. 

Devin Booker, Small Forward, Kentucky

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

During his high school playing days, Kentucky's Devin Booker modeled his game after Golden State Warriors shooters Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, according to his father, Melvin Booker, in an article by Patrick Magee of the Sun Herald. 

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Devin watched Golden State (in high school) and Tweeted thanks to Steph Curry and Thompson for bringing shooting back to the NBA game. That's something we talked about. The game was changing and the 3-ball is becoming real important in the NBA right now. I think with the way Steph and Klay play with the Warriors and how the Hawks use (Kyle) Korver, those two teams are first in their division. The 3-ball is real important. I think that has a lot to do with Devin being hot with NBA general managers. They all know he's an elite shooter. He has one of the prettiest shots in the game.

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Now, fresh off just one season with the Wildcats, the 19-year-old is drawing comparisons to Thompson himself from CBS Sports' Doug Gottlieb. 

While Booker primarily played the sixth-man role and logged 21.5 minutes per game, his ability to shoot the rock seemed to always be on full display with his 41.1 percent from behind the arc as a freshman, contributing 10 points per game for a Kentucky team that made the Final Four. 

At 6'6", Booker lacks ideal height for an NBA small forward, but his ability to shoot the ball will be a huge asset for a Thunder team that converted just 33.9 percent from downtown. Even if Booker isn't the second coming of Thompson, Wasserman came up with another pro comparison that should appease the OKC faithful:

"Best-case outcome, we could be looking at another version of J.J. Redick." 

As pretty as Booker's jumper is, Wasserman did acknowledge a key flaw in the youngster's game that could hinder his ceiling:

"Rarely did we see Booker score after putting the ball on the floor and separating. He's not someone you want to isolate one-on-one and ask to get your team a bucket."

Booker's ability to create offense for himself will help avoid being pigeonholed as just another good shooter.