Thunder takes two in Round 2
In a second-round of mass movement in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Thunder stayed put.
With two selections within five picks of each other in the second round on Thursday, the Thunder selected Virginia guard Devon Hall No. 53 overall and Texas-Arlington wing Kevin Hervey No. 57 overall.
Hall (6-foot-6, 210 pounds) started 89 games in four seasons at Virginia, averaging a career-best 11.7 points and 3.1 assists per game as a senior while shooting 43.2 percent from 3-point range.
ESPN.com’s Mike Schmitz described Hall as a “3-and-D wing who brings positional versatility.” Virginia is renowned for its defense under head coach Tony Bennett, producing tough-nosed NBA wings Justin Anderson and Malcolm Brogdon in the 2015 and 2016 drafts, respectively. Hall was among the top defensive guards in the ACC, finishing in the top 10 in defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) as a junior and senior.
Hervey (6-7, 211) is another four-year player, but more of a scorer than
Hall. Hervey was the Sun Belt Player of the Year as a junior and scored better than 17 points per game for three consecutive seasons, including 20.5 points per game to go along with 8.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game as a senior. Hervey struggled from 3-point range, shooting just 32.4 percent from deep (204-of630) for his career, but showed a good stroke on spot-up 3-pointer at the NBA Combine and the ability to guard multiple positions.
Hervey, who played high school ball in Arlington, has a history of knee injuries — ACL tears in his senior season of high school and as a sophomore at UT-Arlington. Hervey, however, measured nearly 6-8 with a 7’3 ½ wingspan at the NBA Combine, fitting the Thunder’s profile on long wing players.
The advantage of drafting in the second round for the Thunder is saving money. Second-round picks are typically signed to minimum-salary contracts, meaning the Thunder can play Hall immediately with minimal salary cap or luxury tax ramifications. The likely road is that of recent Thunder second-rounders: A developmental year or two in the G-League with the Oklahoma City Blue before matriculating to the Thunder roster (Dakari Johnson) and signing a guaranteed contract, or signing as a two-way player who will not count against the Thunder salary cap (Daniel Hamilton) but is still eligible for as many as 45 days with the Thunder throughout the season.
The Thunder also acquired Kentucky guard Hamidou Diallo in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets,according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Diallo was selected by Brooklyn with the No. 45 pick but will reportedly be traded to Charlotte as part of the Dwight Howard deal. The trade with OKC cannot be completed until July 6. Teams of the deal were not immediately available.
The Thunder didn’t have a first-round selection, the result of the 2015 trade with the Utah Jazz to acquire Enes Kanter. That pick was eventually shipped to Minnesota, and the Timberwolves selected a wing, Josh Okogie of Georgia Tech, at No. 20.
The Thunder will have its first-round pick next summer in 2019, as team cannot trade first-round picks in consecutive drafts. The Thunder’s 2020 first-round pick is owed to Orlando (via Philadelphia) as part of the Jerami Grant trade. If that pick falls Nos. 1-20 in 2020, that pick turns into two second rounders in 2021.