THE OKC Thunder held a presentation press conference on Saturday for the three players he selected in the 2024 NBA Draft.
OKC selected Serbia Subject Nikola (No. 12 overall), Weber State’s Dillon Jones (No. 26) and UC Santa Barbara Ajay Mitchell (No. 38). They will join a team that went 57-25 last season and reached the Western Conference semifinals as the top seed.
Here’s what each OKC-selected candidate had to say Saturday.
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OKC Thunder presentation press conference for 2024 NBA Draft selections
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Nikola Topic ready to become the ‘best version of myself’ with OKC
Subject is ready to practice patience with OKC.
After being selected by the Thunder with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, Topic is expected to miss his entire rookie season. The 6-6 guard suffered a partially torn ACL earlier this month while playing for Crvena Zvezda, a team in the Serbian League (KLS).
It’s a situation OKC is familiar with. Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft, missed his entire rookie campaign with a Lisfranc foot injury, but he bounced back last season by playing all 82 regular-season games.
“I’m really grateful that they have experience with Chet, who didn’t play his first season,” Topic said. “We’re assuming that’s going to be the case for me. I’m really, really grateful for the opportunity. I’m going to do my best to do my best and be the best version of myself.”
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Dillon Jones took the ‘long road’ to OKC
Jones’ path to OKC hasn’t been easy.
Although he wasn’t a star recruit in 2020, the Columbia, South Carolina native earned a spot on Weber State’s roster. And after starting just two games as a freshman, he earned Big Sky MVP honors as a senior last season with averages of 20.8 points and 9.8 rebounds.
Jones now finds himself with a deep OKC roster, and he’ll have to work to carve out a role for himself. But Jones has never shied away from a challenge.
“It’s been a journey, a long road,” Jones said of his path to the NBA. “When I got to Weber, those were the moments that really made me who I am as a player. … Keep learning, keep growing. That was kind of the journey. … I’m just excited to try to get on that path and take on that new challenge.”
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Ajay Mitchell wants to ‘work hard’ for OKC role
Few things are guaranteed for second-round NBA Draft selections.
They often signed a two-way contract, which is the case for Mitchell, who was selected 38th overall. And they have the task of earning their spot on the roster by playing well in Summer League and G League games.
But it can be done, especially in OKC. From Lu Dort to Aaron Wiggins, many Thunder players have gone from second-round/undrafted selections to key rotation players.
Today, Mitchell hopes to continue that trend after spending three seasons at UC Santa Barbara.
“I’m really excited,” Mitchell said. “This team has done it before with players in my position. It’s all about working hard, doing my part and being ready at all times. I’m really excited to be in this position.”
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