NBA Draft 2024 Rumors: Warriors Trade for Lindy Waters III; Thunder Land No. 52 Pick
June 27, 2024
The Oklahoma City Thunder entered Thursday without a selection in the second round of the NBA draft, but the team reportedly made a move to change that.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Golden State Warriors sent the No. 52 pick to the Thunder in exchange for guard Lindy Waters III.
Fischer added that "several teams are under the impression" that Oklahoma City is "attempting to move further up from this No. 52 slot."
There are still some impressive names remaining on the board ahead of Thursday's second round, including Duke's Kyle Filipowski, Kansas' Johnny Furphy, Marquette's Tyler Kolek and of course, USC's Bronny James. B/R's Jonathan Wasserman predicted that James would be selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 55 pick in his second-round mock draft.
This trade adds to the wheeling and dealing for the Thunder. After using the No. 12 pick to select Nikola Topić, Oklahoma City reportedly sent five second-round picks between the 2025 and 2027 drafts to the New York Knicks on Wednesday to get back into the first round and select Dillon Jones with the No. 26 pick.
The Thunder finished first in the Western Conference with a 57-25 record this past season. General manager Sam Presti has been known to be a top-notch talent evaluator, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he lands another gem in the second round.
It remains to be seen who Presti is eyeing on Thursday, but it's clear that the Thunder are looking to add players who can contribute right away next season.
