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Thunder Notes: Williams, Postseason Experience, Sanders, SGA

May 27th, 2025 at 8:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Named to the All-NBA Third Team last week, Thunder forward Jalen Williams delivered an offensive gem in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Monday. He posted a postseason career-high 34 points in the 128-126 victory over the Timberwolves, giving OKC a commanding 3-1 series lead.

Williams went 13-of-24 from the field, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range. He had 13 points and four turnovers when his team got blown out in Game 3.

“I feel like if you’re not really good, you’re probably not going to have any [scrutiny], so just play with it, just keep going,” Williams said, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “A lot of people that are talking about me can’t do what I do, and I know that, and I think that gives me a lot of confidence to just go out there and do whatever the team needs.”

We have more on the Thunder:

  • Oklahoma City has found different ways to get it done in this postseason, Tony Jones of The Athletic notes. The Thunder have been a great regular-season team for two years but this is the first time they’ve also become a great playoff team, according to Jones. In Game 4, they held off numerous Timberwolves runs. “I thought we did a good job of continuously moving the scoreboard,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “We especially did that late in the game, when there were situations down the stretch where it was a possession game. I thought the guys did a great job, taking it a possession at a time.”
  • While they’re five wins away from a championship, the Thunder are also busy preparing for the future. They have scheduled a pre-draft workout with Kobe Sanders, a 6’7” guard, Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated tweets. Sanders averaged 15.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.1 steals last season for Nevada. Sanders is ranked No. 69 on ESPN’s big board.
  • MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Timberwolves’ Nickeil Alexander-Walker are cousins and best friends. They’re now competing against each other for a trip to the Finals. “For both of us to be where we are is special, and to compete against each other is even more special,” Gilgeous-Alexander told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears within an in-depth feature on their relationship. “But I am trying to take his head off for sure, completely.”
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NBA Announces 75 Invitees For 2025 Draft Combine

May 2nd, 2025 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA announced today (via Twitter) that 75 prospects have been invited to attend this year’s draft combine, which will take place in Chicago from May 11-18.

In addition to those 75 players, a handful of standout players from the G League Elite Camp, which is also held in Chicago just before the combine begins, are expected to receive invites to stick around for the main event.

Not all of the prospects invited to the combine will end up remaining in the 2025 draft pool, since many are early entrants who are testing the waters while retaining their NCAA eligibility.

College players must withdraw from the draft by the end of the day on May 28 if they wish to preserve that eligibility, while non-college players face a decision deadline of June 15. The feedback they receive from NBA teams at the combine may be a deciding factor for players who are on the fence.

Here’s the list of players who have been invited to the 2025 draft combine:

(Note: For players in international leagues, the country listed is where they had been playing, not necessarily where they’re from.)

  1. Izan Almansa, F/C, Australia (born 2005)
  2. Neoklis Avdalas, G/F, Greece (born 2006)
  3. Ace Bailey, G/F, Rutgers (freshman)
  4. Joan Beringer, C, Slovenia (born 2006)
  5. Koby Brea, G, Kentucky (senior)
  6. Johni Broome, F/C, Auburn (senior)
  7. Carter Bryant, F, Arizona (freshman)
  8. Miles Byrd, G, San Diego State (sophomore)
  9. Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida (senior)
  10. Nique Clifford, G, Colorado State (senior)
  11. Alex Condon, F/C, Florida (sophomore)
  12. Cedric Coward, F, Washington State (senior)
  13. Egor Demin, G, BYU (freshman)
  14. Eric Dixon, F, Villanova (senior)
  15. V.J. Edgecombe, G, Baylor (freshman)
  16. Noa Essengue, F, Germany (born 2006)
  17. Isaiah Evans, G/F, Duke (freshman)
  18. Jeremiah Fears, G, Oklahoma (freshman)
  19. Cooper Flagg, F, Duke (freshman)
  20. Boogie Fland, G, Arkansas (freshman)
  21. Rasheer Fleming, F/C, St. Joseph’s (junior)
  22. Vladislav Goldin, C, Michigan (senior)
  23. Hugo Gonzalez, F, Spain (born 2006)
  24. PJ Haggerty, G, Memphis (sophomore)
  25. Dylan Harper, G, Rutgers (freshman)
  26. Ben Henshall, G/F, Australia (born 2004)
  27. Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Illinois (freshman)
  28. Sion James, G, Duke (senior)
  29. Tre Johnson, G, Texas (freshman)
  30. Kameron Jones, G, Marquette (senior)
  31. Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton (senior)
  32. Karter Knox, F, Arkansas (freshman)
  33. Kon Knueppel, G/F, Duke (freshman)
  34. Chaz Lanier, G, Tennessee (senior)
  35. Yaxel Lendeborg, F, UAB (senior)
  36. RJ Luis, F, St. John’s (junior)
  37. Khaman Maluach, C, Duke (freshman)
  38. Bogoljub Markovic, F/C, Serbia (born 2005)
  39. Alijah Martin, G, Florida (senior)
  40. Liam McNeeley, F, UConn (freshman)
  41. Jalon Moore, F, Oklahoma (senior)
  42. Collin Murray-Boyles, F, South Carolina (sophomore)
  43. Grant Nelson, F, Alabama (senior)
  44. Asa Newell, F, Georgia (freshman)
  45. Otega Oweh, G, Kentucky (junior)
  46. Dink Pate, G/F, Mexico City Capitanes (born 2006)
  47. Micah Peavy, G/F, Georgetown (senior)
  48. Noah Penda, F, France (born 2005)
  49. Tahaad Pettiford, G, Auburn (freshman)
  50. Labaron Philon, G, Alabama (freshman)
  51. Drake Powell, G/F, UNC (freshman)
  52. Tyrese Proctor, G, Duke (junior)
  53. Derik Queen, C, Maryland (freshman)
  54. Maxime Raynaud, F/C, Stanford (senior)
  55. Jase Richardson, G, Michigan State (freshman)
  56. Will Riley, F, Illinois (freshman)
  57. Michael Ruzic, F, Spain (born 2006)
  58. Hunter Sallis, G, Wake Forest (senior)
  59. Kobe Sanders, G, Nevada (senior)
  60. Ben Saraf, G, Germany (born 2006)
  61. Mark Sears, G, Albama (senior)
  62. Max Shulga, G, VCU (senior)
  63. Javon Small, G, West Virginia (senior)
  64. Thomas Sorber, F/C, Georgetown (freshman)
  65. Adou Thiero, F, Arkansas (junior)
  66. John Tonje, G, Wisconsin (senior)
  67. Alex Toohey, F, Australia (born 2004)
  68. Nolan Traore, G, France (born 2006)
  69. Milos Uzan, G, Houston (junior)
  70. Jamir Watkins, G/F, Florida State (senior)
  71. Brice Williams, G/F, Nebraska (senior)
  72. Darrion Williams, F, Texas Tech (junior)
  73. Danny Wolf, F/C, Michigan (junior)
  74. Hansen Yang, C, China (born 2005)
  75. Rocco Zikarsky, C, Australia (born 2006)

It’s worth noting that the NBA and the NBPA agreed to several combine-related changes in their latest Collective Bargaining Agreement. Here are a few of those changes:

  • A player who is invited to the draft combine and declines to attend without an excused absence will be ineligible to be drafted. He would become eligible the following year by attending the combine. There will be exceptions made for a player whose FIBA season is ongoing, who is injured, or who is dealing with a family matter (such as a tragedy or the birth of a child).
  • Players who attend the draft combine will be required to undergo physical exams, share medical history, participate in strength, agility, and performance testing, take part in shooting drills, receive anthropometric measurements, and conduct interviews with teams and the media. Scrimmages won’t be mandatory.
  • Medical results from the combine will be distributed to select teams based on where the player is projected to be drafted. Only teams drafting in the top 10 would get access to medical info for the projected No. 1 pick; teams in the top 15 would receive medical info for players in the 2-6 range, while teams in the top 25 would get access to info for the players in the 7-10 range.
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