3 Projected Landing Spots for Kyle Filipowski in the 2024 NBA Draft
By Cem Yolbulan
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (#12)
The Thunder are another team that desperately needs more size. They have Chet Holmgren as their starting center but they are generally undersized, causing them to struggle physically against bigger opponents.
Filipowski is not the most physically imposing center out there but he is still a seven-footer. Plus, he fits exactly what Oklahoma City wants to do. OKC wants to have playmakers in all five positions. They play a five-out system offensively where everyone dribbles, passes, shoots, and attacks the basket. Filipowski, with a similar game to Holmgren, would be the perfect backup behind the fellow seven-footer.
Plus, the Thunder have strong defenders up and down the roster that could help cover for Filipowski's defensive shortcomings.
OKC is already a contender and they have enough talent and depth that they don't need to rely on Filipowski immediately. They can bring him along slowly and considering how good of a developmental system they have, the Thunder can expect to integrate him to their rotation in a year or two.
Picking Filipowski at No. 12 may be a reach but Oklahoma City has more draft picks than any other team in the league. They can always use a few of their future picks to trade into the later part of the first round to draft Filipowski if they have someone else in mind with their 12th-overall pick.