In August or September, it is nearly impossible to accurately predict the upcoming NBA draft cycle.

With the NBA basketball team still waiting for training camp to begin, it’s hard to figure out what teams need most or how they’ll rank in the standings. Additionally, the college basketball season hasn’t started yet, meaning many of the top talents are still being ranked based on their performance in high school.

While a handful of these players are ultimately selected in the lottery, there are some who slide down the draft list or return to school for another season.

In September 2023, Bleacher Report draft analyst Jonathan Wasserman predicted that the Oklahoma City Thunder would select the UCLA center Mara with the number 14 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

The Spanish big man is 6’1″ and weighs 230 pounds. As a freshman for the Bruins, he averaged 3.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game and shot 44.2% from the field. After a lackluster first year of college basketball, Mara decided to return to school, where he will have another chance to qualify for the NBA Draft after his sophomore year.

Wasserman’s departure from Mara to OKC highlights what many national media members thought about the Thunder before their impressive performance in the 2023 regular season: that the team needed a big man.

Even after 57 victories, many observers still believed Sam Presti and the organization needed more size on the roster. Oklahoma City finally addressed what it perceived to be its biggest weakness, but not through the draft.

Instead, the team signed Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency and selected two more players in the first round who will play on the perimeter Nikola Theme And Dillon Jones.

In addition to Mara, Wasserman also placed Tyrese Proctor, DJ Wagner And Elmar Jacksonwho all eventually returned to school entered the lottery last September, which shows how difficult it is to make NBA Draft predictions at this time of year.

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