2026 NBA draft: Here are 5 Round 2 prospects OKC Thunder could look at

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The 2026 NBA draft is right around the corner. Only a handful of days remain until teams across the league get a chance to add youth to their rosters during the two-day event. By the end of it, we've officially returned to square one as everybody is optimistic about their short-term and long-term futures.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will get a chance to add some fresh faces to their rotation. The title contender enters with three premium picks — No. 12 via the LA Clippers; No. 17 via the Philadelphia 76ers; No. 37 via the Dallas Mavericks.

To prepare for the 2026 NBA draft, let's look at five second-round options the Thunder could add to their group. Of course, the second day is the fun one, where draft boards are all over the place:

Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State​

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Jefferson played in four collegiate seasons. His first two year Saint Mary's and his last two at Iowa State. At the latter, he cemented himself as their top scorer. He averaged 16.4 points on 47.1% shooting, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He also shot 34.5% from 3 on 3.1 attempts. The 22-year-old is a 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward.

Jefferson has an inside-dependent scoring game. Not a whole lot of shooting exists with him. Still, he bumped his way around the paint. That helped him get 6.1 free-throw attempts at the college level last year. He has an old-school build that revolves around finesse and smart decision-making. At this point, he's maxed out his physical tools. Don't expect him to be an athletic freak who jumps out of the gym.

Richie Saunders, BYU​

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Saunders played in four college seasons at BYU. He averaged 18 points on 48.9% shooting, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He shot 37.6% from 3 on 6.8 attempts. The 24-year-old is a 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard. He sustained a torn ACL in Feb. 2026, so he'll likely miss most of his first season.

The shooting is great for Saunders. That's his bread and butter. He was a high-volume, sizzling-efficiency guy in all four years with the Cougars. Elsewhere, not a whole lot to write about. The knee injury is a real bummer that depresses his value. And already being pretty ancient for draft standards, it's tough to explain taking a guy who won't be a contributor from the jump. He faces an uphill battle.

Izaiyah Nelson, USF​

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Nelson played in four college seasons. His first three were at Arkansas State and his last one was at USF. In his last year with the Bulls, he broke out as a double-double machine. He averaged 15.9 points on 56.1% shooting, 9.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists. He also had 1.4 blocks and 1.6 steals. The 22-year-old is a 6-foot-10, 218-pound forward.

Nelson dominated in the American Conference. He'll be an all-motor guy who pumps up the home crowd. He can roll to the rim and be a lob-finisher. He'll beef up any frontcourt he joins. The defensive playmaking is there with an eye-popping three stocks per game average at the mid-major level. He can't do much else on offense besides finish around the rim, but there's a role in the NBA for that archetype.

Isaiah Evans, Duke​

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Returning for a second year at Duke, Evans graduated as a starter. He averaged 15 points on 43.3% shooting, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He shot 36.1% from 3 on 7.4 attempts. The 20-year-old is a 6-foot-6, 180-pound guard. Not liking where last year's mocks had him at, he remains at the same spot a year later.

The frame is what caps Evans. He's a little too skinny to really thrive at the NBA level. He's going to need to change that. For now, he's just an outside shooter. The volume and efficiency were great at the ACC level. He started at a college basketball blueblood, which is always a plus for your resume. Expect him as a floor spacer. But he seriously needs to work on his weight and defense.

Koa Peat, Arizona​

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Peat played in one collegiate season at Arizona. He averaged 14.1 points on 52.8% shooting, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists. The 19-year-old is a 6-foot-8, 235-pound forward. Entering as a consensus five-star commit, he had a mixed bag of results. Sure, he played for a Final Four team. But he also didn't really dominate on an individual level.

Peat has been a household name since his high school days. If you've been around the basketball world for a couple of years, you've likely heard his name. If you're an NBA front office, you're still banking on some of that upside he had. At the college level, he was fine. Nothing crazy. Didn't set college hoops on fire. He played his role well on a first seed. You hope he has more room to grow if given more freedom.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: 2026 NBA draft: Here are 5 Round 2 prospects OKC Thunder could look at

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