Thunder draft Alperen Sengun at No. 16, reportedly trade C to Rockets
With the No. 16 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder have selected Turkish center Alperen Sengun.
However, the Thunder are trading Sengun to the Houston Rockets for a pair of future first-round picks, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Sengun is arguably the second-best center prospect in the 2021 draft class behind USC's Evan Mobley. His dominance around the basket led Sengun to become the lone European player to average more than 19 points, nine rebounds, and two assists over a full campaign at the age of 18.
Sengun has showcased tremendous basketball instincts through his positioning when hauling in rebounds and strong hands rolling to the hoop, which should help him at the next level. Some have compared Sengun's style of play to Denver's Nikola Jokic, although the former isn't likely to reach the same lofty heights. Expect the young big man to occupy a bench role during his first few seasons as he becomes more familiar with the NBA game.
Bio
Position: C
Club: Besiktas (Turkey - Basketball Super League)
Height: 6-foot-9
Weight: 242 lbs
Wingspan: 7 feet
Max vertical: N/A
Strengths
- Imposing presence inside the paint with a variety of crafty post moves.
- Strong basketball IQ and instincts.
- Consistent free-throw shooter, which bodes well for his long-term development into a floor-spacing big.
- Improved athleticism could help him provide sneaky value as a rim protector (averaged 1.7 blocks per game in the BSL).
- Excels as a finisher out of the pick-and-roll.
- Great offensive rebounder (4.1 per game).
Weaknesses
- Slow-footed defensively, which could make it challenging for him to defend against pick-and-rolls.
- May struggle to keep up when featured in offenses that push the pace.
- Size disadvantage compared to NBA counterparts will likely make it harder for him to dominate the interior the way he did overseas.