OKLAHOMA CITY - In a wild NBA Draft, with a shocker at No. 1 and none of the usual "can't-miss" prospects, the Oklahoma City Thunder had plenty of options.
Yet, none of those possibilities appeared to be a franchise-changing moment for the Thunder.
So, Oklahoma City did some talking but held on to the No. 12 pick to take center Steven Adams, a player who is more about future potential than immediate help.
With three of the top 32 picks, but the highest at No. 12, the Thunder has been the subject of trade rumors for weeks.
Nothing apparently developed, and that left OKC with a top pick that wouldn't appear to be a quick fix for the interior. In fact, it wouldn't be farfetched to believe Adams may spend some time with the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League next winter.
Adams may turn out to be a great pick someday, but it is doubtful many Thunder fans had Adams on their wish list prior to the draft.
Adams played just one season at Pitt and was known primarily as a defensive player, averaging 11 rebounds per game.
He was not considered one of the best bets on the interior in this draft and shot just 44 percent from the free throw line.
Was he a reach? Maybe. Maybe not. The Thunder is looking for help for the interior where Kendrick Perkins' future remains somewhat cloudy.
Whatever happens to Perkins in the future, the Thunder is apparently betting that Adams will develop into an interior player capable of taking heat off Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on the perimeter in the future.
However, we're talking about sometime in the future at best. This is no game-changer for the Thunder.
The Thunder passed on the more publicized Kelly Olynyk, a 7-footer from Gonzaga, and UCLA guard Shabazz Muhammad, who were still available when OKC picked at No. 12. Olynyk did not last long after OKC passed on him. Dallas took him at No. 13. Muhammad was snapped up by Utah at No. 14.
The Thunder then traded up from its spot at 29th to grab Colorado forward Andre Roberson, who was taken 26th by the Wolves and then traded to the Warriors, who traded him to OKC. Roberson was not projected to be a first-round pick and was also a surprise for many Thunder fans.
The Thunder selected Spanish guard Alex Abrines with the 32nd pick, the second pick in the second round. Many believe he could be stashed at an European League team until the Thunder is ready to bring him to the NBA.
OKC general manager Sam Presti has been sensational at times in his seven draft nights as a general manager. In his first three drafts, he got three NBA All-Stars for the Thunder.
In fact, it is doubtful anybody in his first three drafts had a better start as a GM.
Presti got all of the players he would need to reach the NBA Finals in just two years.
While the Thunder was still in Seattle, Presti got the biggest break in the Thunder's future.
Portland, with the No. 1 pick, took Greg Oden, the guy just about everyone agreed was the top pick.
That left Presti with the easiest pick ever. All he had to do was write down "Kevin Durant" and that changed the fortunes of Oklahoma's future NBA team. Durant was the first, and still the most important piece, in the construction of the Thunder.
Just a year later, the Thunder had one of the best drafts in recent history. Presti was able to land Russell Westbrook with the No. 4 pick and followed it up by getting Serge Ibaka at No. 24.
Then, in 2009, the Thunder got James Harden at No. 3.
Welcome to the NBA Finals.
Since then, Oklahoma City has added some pieces but nothing significant.
The Thunder traded up to get Cole Aldrich in 2010. Reggie Jackson, who played well after Westbrook was injured last season, was taken at No. 24 in 2011. OKC got Perry Jones from Baylor at No. 28 last year.
In fact, in the past three years, the Thunder has landed a handful of future NBA Development League players for the Tulsa 66ers.
Many NBA experts believe this year's draft was full of future NBA D-League players. A year ago, 26 of the 60 drafted players spent time in the NBA D-League. The highest of those picks was OKC's Jeremy Lamb (No. 12), picked by Houston but sent to Oklahoma City last year and eventually was a member of the 66ers for a portion of the season.
In fact, there's a good chance you'll see a number of players drafted on Thursday night in Tulsa next winter. There have been 124 players from the past five draft classes who have played in the D-League.
The 66ers are one of just 11 D-League teams solely affiliated with an NBA team.
While many will go to the D-League to try to reach the NBA, there are future stars, as yet unknown, too.
There were future all-stars likely taken on Thursday night. Who those players are is the secret to NBA success.
But OKC's draft would appear to have been a good night for the 66ers.
John Klein
Oklahoma State needed a game. The players needed to play. The coaches needed to coach. The fans needed to cheer. Everyone needed a break from the daily barrage of wild accusations and nasty allegations in a Sports Illustrated series of stories about OSU football.
The tone of Oklahoma State's response to allegations has been serious and determined.
