After Florida won the national championship over Houston, the college basketball world will shift its focus from March Madness to the NBA draft. The NCAA Men's Tournament allows for the best college prospects to shine on the year's biggest stage.
For the Oklahoma City Thunder, it'll be another draft cycle they could own several first-round picks depending on how the lottery shakes out. They have their hands inside several cookie jars with the highest upside swings being the Philadelphia 76ers' top-six protected pick and the LA Clippers' first-round swap rights.
After the Gators captured the championship, ESPN's draft experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo released a 2025 NBA mock draft. The playoffs are around the corner, but for 14 teams, their next big date will be the draft lottery.
They froze the standings for this exercise. This means the Thunder only had two draft picks in this upcoming draft. Here's who Givony and Woo have mocked to OKC as it hopes to capture a championship:
No. 20 (via Clippers): Carter Bryant, Arizona
Profile: 6-foot-8, 220 pounds, 19 years old, forward
Stats: 6.5 points on 46% shooting, 4.1 rebounds, one assist, one block, 37.1% 3-point shooting, 69.5% free-throw shooting
What ESPN said: "Bryant carved out a key bench role in what was a successful freshman season for Arizona. His strong frame, defensive versatility, passing and 3-point marksmanship (37.6%) make him an appealing developmental target for NBA teams, despite his limitations as a ball handler. Bryant will have an opportunity to help his case in predraft workouts, where his shooting and athleticism should stand out. He's not quite NBA-ready, but his profile could rise over the next couple of months. He would be a solid addition to Oklahoma City's deep roster at this stage of the draft."
No. 45 (via Hawks): JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Profile: 6-foot-9, 225 pounds, 19 years old, forward
Stats: 18.2 points on 55.4% shooting, 9.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.9 blocks, 32.7% 3-point shooting, 67.6% free-throw ...
