The Oklahoma City Thunder are already being linked to the next wave of talent.
In a recent 2027 NBA mock draft from Derek Park of NBA Draft on SI, Oklahoma City came away with three first-round picks and a trio of incoming freshmen projected to land in the Thunder’s lap. The names attached to OKC are Cameron Branch, Braylon Mullins and Goosby.
Branch is one of the headliners of the 2026-27 college basketball season before it even tips off. The incoming freshman is rated the No. 6 overall player and No. 2 small forward in the 2026 recruiting class, and he’s expected to be the next one-and-done star for the Cougars.
At 6-foot-7 and 190 pounds, Branch brings the kind of wing size the Thunder don’t currently have on the roster. The McDonald’s All-American also checks boxes Oklahoma City has tended to value before, including a long wingspan, making him an appealing upside swing for Sam Presti and company.
Landrew arrives in college with plenty of buzz, too. He joins a Huskies team that just reached the NCAA title game, but the roster has changed significantly after multiple key players left for the NBA Draft. That opens the door for Landrew to help fill the void left by players such as Alex Karaban.
He was rated the No. 26 overall recruit and No. 7 small forward in the 2026 cycle by 247Sports. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 236 pounds, Landrew is described as a powerful athlete, and his game includes rebounding, versatility on defense and solid cutting. Those are the kinds of traits that could make him a clean fit for Mark Daigneault’s group.
Goosby rounds out the group of projected Thunder targets. The Texas freshman is expected to have a major role for a Longhorns team that should be one of the nation’s best.
A product of Dynamic Prep in Dallas, Goosby was rated the No. 19 overall player and No. 4 combo guard in the 2026 recruiting class by 247Sports. He’s listed at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, giving him strong size and athleticism for the backcourt.
The appeal goes beyond measurables. As Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports wrote, "His best attribute though may be his feel for the game." Finkelstein added, "He cuts well, passes well, and instinctively knows how to play in ways that allow him to make quick and efficient decisions with the basketball."
For a Thunder team set to hold a trio of first-round selections from the Clippers, Nuggets and Spurs, the 2027 class is already looking like a chance to keep stocking the pipeline.
In Other News...
Thunder Already Have A Jared McCain Problem To Solve
Jared McCain arrives in Oklahoma City as one more intriguing piece in a backcourt that already has plenty of traffic. The Thunder like having options, and McCains shot-making gives them another guard to evaluate, but his size limitations and fit alongside the rest of the group make him a less straightforward long-term answer than some of the other names on the roster.
The bigger issue is what comes next, because the Thunder are also staring at future decisions for Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell while trying to preserve the kind of flexibility that has defined their build. Add in rookie Bennett Stirtz and his team-friendly contract structure, and McCain starts to look less like a locked-in piece and more like a movable asset if Oklahoma City decides it needs to address another area of the roster, especially up front. [Read more 🡒]
Jared McCain Suddenly Carries More Weight For A Thunder Contender
The Thunders summer roster changes have put more attention on Jared McCain, who arrived midseason from Philadelphia and now looks positioned to matter even more in Oklahoma Citys rotation. With the team reshaping its depth, McCains shooting has taken on added importance for a group that wants to keep its offense balanced and difficult to guard.
For Oklahoma City, the appeal is straightforward: McCain gives them another player who can stretch the floor and add points without needing the ball to dominate possessions. His role figures to be tied closely to how the Thunder fill the openings left by other offensive pieces, and that makes his fit more than just a nice bonus heading into the new season. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Still Have One Pressure Point Fans Cant Ignore
Keyonte Georges rise has reached the point where Utah is willing to make a long bet on it. After a uneven first two seasons, the 2023 first-round pick put together a far more polished third year, scoring more often without giving up efficiency, and the Jazz rewarded that progress with a five-year, $155 million extension. It is the kind of deal that says as much about where the franchise thinks it is going as it does about what George has already become.
For Utah, the timing matters because the next step is no longer about development alone. Team president Austin Ainge framed the move as a way to let George focus on winning and help push the Jazz toward playoff relevance, which puts a spotlight on how much more responsibility he is expected to carry. He was the 16th overall pick in 2023, and after the stop-start beginning to his career, the organization is asking him to turn promise into something much harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]