The Oklahoma City Thunder enter the 2026 NBA Draft with two first-round picks at No. 12 and No. 17. With Oklahoma City’s stockpile of assets, they can be opportunistic by trading up in the draft or staying put. I’m going to focus on four potential prospects who fit the Thunder’s typical draft prototype.
Keaton Wagler | 6’6″ | 180 lbs. | Freshman | 19.4 years old
Keaton Wagler is a combo guard from Illinois. Wagler averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game this past season. He shot 44% from the field, including 40% from three, and 80% from the free-throw line.
The first thing that stands out about Wagler is his passing vision at 6-foot-6. He plays with great pace and has an advanced feel for the game. The elite skill, though, is the shooting. If he finds any space on the perimeter, it’s curtains.
Keaton’s lack of athleticism and length could hurt him defensively, but OKC has the requisite personnel to protect him. Presti has long favored jumbo playmakers, and Wagler fits the bill. Wagler is currently projected to go in the top 10, so it would likely take an impressive offer for a team to move back.
Brayden Burries | 6’5″ | 215 lbs. | Freshman | 20.7 years old
Brayden Burries is a combo guard from Arizona. Burries averaged 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. He shot 49% from the field, 39% from three, and 81% from the free-throw line.
Burries is a defensive-minded guard, but the main thing that stands out when I watch him play is his ability to get downhill and score relentlessly and efficiently. He has a lot of connective qualities that fit the Thunder’s system. He can play on or off the ball, make timely cuts, and attack closeouts. I thought the passing was solid as well.
The knock on Burries is that he doesn’t necessarily have an elite NBA skill. He does a lot well, but nothing at an exceptional level. If you watched him at the grassroots level, though, you’d know he has much more on-ball creation ability than he got to showcase at Arizona. It actually speaks volumes about his character that he was willing to sacrifice a featured offensive role to play within a winning system.
Burries would likely require a small trade up, potentially with Dallas or Milwaukee. A lot has been made about the Thunder’s loaded guard room, but Presti has consistently shown a willingness to take the best player available regardless of position.
Yaxel Lendenborg | 6’9″ | 241 lbs. | Senior | 23.7 years old
Yaxel Lendenborg is a forward from Michigan. Lendenborg averaged 15 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game for the Michigan Wolverines, who steamrolled their way to a national championship.
On the season, he shot 51% from the field, including 37% from three, and 82% from the free-throw line.
Yaxel is your typical do-it-all forward. He’s a very good passer, can put the ball on the floor in the half court, and is at his best in transition, grabbing rebounds and pushing the pace as a point forward. He also offers real defensive versatility, as he can switch and guard all five positions.
His only real flaw is that he’ll be a 24-year-old rookie and may have limited upside. What you get from him as a rookie is likely close to what you’ll get throughout his career. OKC has generally faded wings in recent drafts, but Yaxel possesses a unique skill set that fits the Thunder’s style of play.
Sergio De Larrea | 6’7″ | 205 lbs. | International | 20.5 years old
Sergio De Larrea is a guard from Spain who plays for Valencia Basket. De Larrea averaged 7.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in just 15 minutes per game off the bench for one of the more dominant teams in the EuroLeague.
He shot 43% from the field, 40% from three, and 81% from the free-throw line.
The Spanish floor general wins with pace control, vision, and feel. He operates out of the pick-and-roll like a seasoned pro, using his size to see over the defense and deliver precision passes to rollers and weak-side shooters.
He’s far from perfect, though. He has limited burst, struggles to separate in isolation, and is a below-average athlete by NBA standards. However, he could provide a different look for the Thunder, similar to Vasilije Micić.
In his exit interview, Sam Presti mentioned the value of securing the draft rights to players even if they couldn’t bring them over immediately. Sergio is currently under contract with Valencia Basket through 2028.
De Larrea would be a fun, low-risk, high-reward swing at No. 17, and the Thunder wouldn’t have to worry about clearing a roster spot this summer.
Great insight on Thunder potentials.