Who ESPN has the Thunder taking with five picks in latest 2023 NBA mock draft

“Wembanyama is the true prize of this class and the best prospect in the world regardless of age. I’ve long considered the 18-year-old French big man the best prospect I’ve personally ever evaluated, and at 7-3 with a 7-9 wingspan and 9-7 standing reach, he’s starting to turn that sky-high potential into real production for the ASVEL team in France.

After missing some time because of injury earlier in the year, Wembanyama has hit stride over the past 10 games (EuroLeague and France Pro A), averaging 13.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 21.6 minutes while shooting 63% from 2 and 50% from 3. Even more impressive than the production has been how Wembanyama is getting his numbers. ASVEL is springing him free with off-ball screens like a wing, unleashing his feathery shooting touch. With his handle and footwork on display, he has been looking like a bigger Kevin Durant at times by splashing self-created step-back 3s. He’s starting to add a more advanced midpost package, fading into back-shoulder turnarounds with incredible ease. He’s getting to lobs no other player on the planet could even think of. On top of that, he’s protecting the rim at an elite level — well ahead of Rudy Gobert at the same stage — while also showing the ability to step out and switch onto guards unlike any player we’ve previously seen at his height. Wembanyama is the only player in EuroLeague history to record a block percentage over 12%.

He still has his lapses on the defensive glass, can get a little overzealous offensively and with a lean frame has some questions to answer about his durability. But Wembanyama is a one-of-one-caliber prospect, a franchise changer and a future NBA MVP so long as he can stay healthy. He’s the exact type of superstar that could quickly turn the Thunder into a playoff team and future contender the moment he puts on that Oklahoma City hat.”

“Rupert is one of the most intriguing international prospects outside the top five in this class thanks to his combination of length (6-6 with a 7-3 wingspan) and shot creation on the perimeter. Rupert, who might still have a few inches of growth ahead of him, is the son of former Euroleague player and national team captain Thierry Rupert, who tragically died in 2013, and the brother of Iliana Rupert, who plays for the French national team and the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces.

As a prospect, Rupert is far from a finished product. He’s contact-averse, he lives off a lot of tough pull-up 2s, and he’s still not a consistent threat from 3 — he shot just 20% from 3 over four Adidas Next Generation Tournament games in early April. But much like a shorter Brandon Ingram, he can get to his midrange pull-up against even the rangiest of defenders, with an incredibly high release and solid elevation. He’s also incredibly disruptive defensively thanks to his excellent hands and elite length, which helped him average 4.0 steals per game at the ANGT in April. Rupert can stand to improve his decision-making, physicality, 3-ball and defensive rebounding, and it remains to be seen where he’ll play his draft-eligible season next year — he’s currently finishing up at INSEP, a well-known under-18 academy in France. But few prospects can offer the same type of positional length and shot-creation potential, which gives Rupert lottery upside”

“Kaluma finished his freshman season in exhilarating fashion, posting 24 points (4-of-10 from 3), 12 rebounds and 3 assists in an NCAA tournament loss to eventual national champion Kansas that was easily the best game of his career. At 6-8, with a near 7-foot wingspan and chiseled 225-pound frame, Kaluma has strong physical tools, allowing him to see minutes anywhere from 3 to 5 for Creighton. When at his best, Kaluma is making shots from beyond the arc, finishing lobs, finding teammates on the move, crashing the glass, using his length to slow down smaller opponents on the perimeter, and using his strength to put a body on bigger opponents in the paint, giving him the type of versatility every NBA team is looking for from a wing-forward.

With that said, he was very streaky shooting the ball from the perimeter as a freshman (27% from 3) and averaged twice as many turnovers as assists, as the game moves too fast for him at times and he doesn’t always know his limitations. He’ll have a chance to move even higher if he makes the jump as a sophomore his late-season 2021-22 progress suggested, as he’ll be surrounded with quite a bit of talent on a Creighton team that will be a preseason Big East favorite for many. “