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After a jam-packed second day of the 2026 NBA draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder put the final touches on a loaded class as they restock the back end of their roster. They selected Kentucky's Otega Oweh with the No. 41 pick. In a trade-down, they received the second-round pick and cash considerations for No. 37.
The Thunder likely fill in one of their three two-way spots with Oweh. He should be familiar with the state. He spent his first two years in college at Oklahoma before transferring to Kentucky. In his final year, he averaged 18.6 points on 46.5% shooting, 4.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists.
Let's break down the draft pick and hand out a grade for Oweh's addition:
Oweh's background
Oweh played the full four years at college from 2022-26. Two each at Oklahoma and Kentucky. He eventually broke out on the Sooners in his sophomore year as a double-digit scorer. That was enough for him to make the jump to a bigger basketball program. He entered the transfer portal and committed to the Wildcats. With them, he played out two years as one of their top scorers. He was a two-time Second Team All-SEC member there.
Oweh tested the waters in the 2025 NBA draft. But after getting a feel for things, he returned to Kentucky for his senior season. That's what he turned in his best college season. He was their best player as a near 19-point scorer. All of the offense fell on him. He became the fastest player in school history to reach 1,000 career points there. Eventually, the Wildcats made it to the Round of 32 in March Madness.
Professional athletes run in Oweh's family. His brother, Odafe, is a Washington Commanders linebacker. He was taken with the No. 31 pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
Oweh's fit
If the Thunder lose Lu Dort this offseason, Oweh could prove to be his replacement — at least from a playstyle standpoint. He's still a long way from being nearly as impactful as the NBA champion starter. The 6-foot-5, 216-pound guard is a full-on tank. He bullied his way to the rim with his physique at Kentucky. When he had a full head of steam, it was tough for anybody to slow him down.
That's how Oweh broke out as a scorer. It was a bunch of head-down, shoulders-up drives to the rim. That's why he averaged an eye-popping six free-throw attempts in his final year on 73.1% shooting. Those numbers stand out at the college level. The jumper is pretty shaky. He never really figured that out in his four years at college. Sure, he had an insane buzzer-beater over Iowa State in March Madness, but that's more of a rarity thing for him. That will be the ultimate swing skill for him in the NBA.
On defense, that's where Oweh will put his NBA dreams. The Thunder added him with the hope that he complements their league-best unit. His football-esque frame should make him a pest. Especially against NBA scorers who hate contact. He'll need to master the nuances involved in getting away with contact on one-on-one looks, but if he does, he could be disruptive in the perimeter.
You're intrigued by what Oweh brings on defense, but there's still plenty to iron out in his game on that end of the floor. He's super aggressive. Which you love to see. But there are some wrinkles. He might gamble on passing lanes for the home-run steal. It helped him average 1.8 steals in his final year at Kentucky. But you need to be more disciplined at the NBA level or risk putting your team at a disadvantage. He also might get too touchy. That's why he averaged 2.7 fouls last year, too. He'll need to clean that up. Can't fall for foul-baiting at this level.
Oweh's long-term future
Considering where Oweh was taken, expect the Thunder to add him to a two-way deal. That means he'll spend plenty of time in the G League's OKC Blue. As a reminder, two-way players can only be active for 50 NBA regular-season games. I think he'll get decent playing time in OKC, but it'll mostly happen in garbage time or out of necessity due to injuries.
When you're on a two-way deal, your NBA career is on a day-to-day basis. Such are the cold realities of this business. You're a third-string player. You have to earn your way to a standard contract. Luckily for Oweh, the Thunder are one of the best developmental programs in the league. If he shows enough on defense, that'll be enough to buy him more time. Even if the offense looks raw at times.
The Thunder are taking a flyer on Oweh. They're betting his motor sharpens up his defensive technique. And on offense, you're starting from the ground up if I'm being blunt. He'll need to get some sorta jumper. While he was the go-to guy at Kentucky, that won't be the case in the NBA. In his role, most of his touches will be off the catch and in transition. Can't let those valuable possessions go to waste.
Final thoughts
You can't really get too riled up with who the Thunder take at the No. 41 pick. At this point in the NBA draft, it's all about taking long shots at developing guys. You're at least comfortable with his college tape. The 23-year-old ran away with every opportunity given to him in Oklahoma and Kentucky. All you can really ask for. Now, it's about him downsizing at the next level to fit a role player hat.
The Thunder conducted some solid asset management. They were confident enough that Oweh would still be there four spots later. So why not get cash considerations to move down? It's one of those moves that won't grab headlines, but the latest transaction sequence that shows how savvy OKC's front office is. Especially in a busy Round 2 — where every draft pick sans one was moved.
We'll see how Oweh looks in Summer League and preseason. Those two events mean a little more for the second-round rookie than for his fellow 2026 NBA draft classmates in Aday Mara and Bennett Sturtz. It'll be his only real shot to get consistent minutes at this level before working in the background of the G League's OKC Blue for most of the year.
At the very least, Oweh is a cool story to follow. He's the first Sooner to play for the Thunder. Wild stat to hear for OKC — who relocated 18 years ago. That means he'll have plenty of local support to make it to the NBA. I know Oklahoma isn't really known as a basketball school, but they've still produced a solid track record of NBA players over the years.
Final Grade: C
Oweh's highlights:
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: 2026 NBA draft: Grading OKC Thunder's selection of Otega Oweh
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