2021 NBA Draft Rumors: Oklahoma City Thunder want to move into the top 3 picks to target Evan Mobley

With just a couple of days left for the 2021 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder are dominating trade talks with reports highlighting their interest in Evan Mobley. Mobley is a highly touted prospect who played for the USC Trojans and led them to the Elite Eight in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

The Oklahoma City Thunder own a whopping 36 picks over the next seven years, including the No.6 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Evan Mobley is unlikely to be on the board until then, so the Thunder could be looking to move up.

As mentioned by ESPN's Mike Schmitz on the latest episode of The Lowe Post, the Oklahoma City Thunder have set their eyes on Mobley. Schmitz said:

"That's what I hear, that the Thunder wanna go up and they wanna get Evan Mobley, just because there are a lot of teams in the NBA – maybe they're one of them – that believe in three-four years he might end up the best one. ... That's kind of the somewhat quiet buzz within the league that Oklahoma City wants to use this treasure trove of picks to get inside the top three and Mobley is the name that you probably hear the most."

Evan Mobley pic.twitter.com/5bVZbAqaAS

— Evil Mobley👿😤 (@BronCedi) July 20, 2021

Evan Mobley averaged 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game during his freshman year at the University of Southern California. He's particularly known for his defensive versatility, interior scoring and feel for the game.

2021 NBA Draft Rumors: What's next for Oklahoma City Thunder and Evan Mobley?

Thunder GM Sam Presti

Evan Mobley would be the perfect addition to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2021 NBA Draft. They did not extend a qualifying offer to Tony Bradley and don't have a single recognized center on their roster. The Thunder also had the worst net rating in the league last season and could certainly make use of Mobley's defensive ability.

Thunder have zero centers on their roster now.Horford, Moses and now Bradley are gone.Wonder if there’s any highly regarded centers in the draft they’re interested in? 🤔 https://t.co/dq8dZyNue0

— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) July 27, 2021

Trading for a top-three pick in the 2021 NBA Draft won't be easy, though. The Cleveland Cavaliers have the third pick and are arguably the only team in the top three likely to entertain trade offers. The Cavs are also rumored to like Mobley, though.

Having said that, the Oklahoma City Thunder have an absolute war chest of draft picks that they can offer to get a deal done. They're also expected to have $37 million in cap space and could take on bad contracts from the Cavs, even that of Kevin Love.

Only time will tell whether the Thunder are able to trade up in the 2021 NBA Draft or not, but they surely have the resources to do so.

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