Shortly after the Oklahoma City Thunder were eliminated in the 2010-11 playoffs, executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti told the assembled media in his postseason press conference “the core of our team returns.”

All five starters (Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka and Thabo Sefolosha) and three rotation players (Nick Collison, James Harden and Eric Maynor) are locked in for next season.  Two other rotation players (restricted free agent Daequan Cook and unrestricted free agent Nazr Mohammed) have expressed strong desires to stay with the team.  Should Cook and Mohammed stay, all ten rotation players from last season will take the court again to attempt a more successful postseason.

The fate of the remaining players – Cole Aldrich, Royal Ivey, Byron Mullens and Nate Robinson – has not yet been determined.  Others, too, hang in the balance: Robert Vaden and Tibor Pleiss.

With the Western Conference Finals loss to the Dallas Maverick fresh on their minds, the Thunder will come to the draft holding the 24th draft pick.  Experience is what they lack, yet Presti may just pull another of his trademark surprise moves to fill a need.

Few expected Presti to take Westbrook with their fourth pick in the 2008 draft.  Some were surprised he selected Harden third in 2009.

Guess who the franchise selected with their 24th pick in 2008?  Serge Ibaka, a player who has already established himself as a rising star in the league.  On the other hand, Mullens was selected 24th in 2009.

Other notable 24th picks include Rudy Fernandez (2007), Kyle Lowry (2006), Delonte West (2004), Nenad Krstic (2002), Andrei Kirilenko (1999), and even Derek Fisher (1996).  There have been busts at 24th as well, but typically first-round picks in the NBA draft are worthy assets.

Presti may elect to trade or package the pick, but for purposes of this article we’ll assume a straight draft pick.  Since Oklahoma City divulges little in the way of who it’s working out or eyeing, we’ll first establish apparent needs of the team.

The Thunder lacks a reliable backup to Durant; a combo akin to what Jeff Green provided would be ideal.  Some might say another valid need is a low-post scorer to complement Perkins.  And others may point to a need for a shooting guard to fill a vacancy off the bench once Harden is moved, surely next season, to a starting role.

With these needs in mind, we compiled a list of potential draft picks Oklahoma City just may target on the night of June 23rd:
(Rankings compiled as of 6/18/11)

Kyle Singler:
Mock Drafts – HOOPSWORLD ranks #33, DraftExpress ranks #24 and NBADraft.net ranks #29

Height: 6’8.5″ w/shoes (and 6’10.10″ wingspan)
Weight:  228
Age:  23
College: Duke, 4 years
Stats:  Career averages of 16.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.1 spg

Positives:
College championship experience, college career starter
High basketball IQ
Help side defender, career 54 charges (ranked fourth in Duke’s history)
Offensive rebounding
Inside-outside scoring threat
Clutch, poised, low-key, solid work ethic

Concerns:
Inconsistent production
Defense
Turnovers
Athleticism
Measured 10.0% percent body fat at the NBA combine

Singler is probably generating the most buzz with respect to who the Thunder is seriously targeting.  He fits the oft-mentioned “Presti-DNA” very well and can space the floor playing the three or four.  He may be the perfect answer to filling that backup role to Durant.

Following a meeting with Oklahoma City at the combine in May, Singler told Paul Banks of The Sports Bank: “I had three different meetings yesterday: Detroit, Oklahoma City and Memphis, and Oklahoma City’s pretty interested.”

Tyler Honeycutt:
Mock Drafts – HOOPSWORLD ranks #27, DraftExpress ranks #25 and NBADraft.net ranks #20

Height: 6’8.25″ w/shoes (and a 6’9″ wingspan)
Weight:  187
Age:  20
College: UCLA, 2 years
Stats:  Averaged 12.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.8 apg last season

Positives:
Highly athletic
Impressive rebounder and shot-blocker
Speedy, hustler
Unselfish
Passing ability
Good defender with long arms/quick feet

Concerns:
187 pounds! Succumbs to contact
Strength
Perimeter shooting
Confidence, aggressiveness
Post defense
Unreliable scoring

Honeycutt has so many attractive attributes which play right into the Thunder’s mold, but the big NBA bodies will take advantage of his slender build.  He has a nose for shot-blocking (averaged 2.1 per game last season, leading the PAC-10) and terrific athleticism.  Skills developed by playing high school volleyball have impressively carried over to the basketball court.

{AUTHOR_BOX}Comparisons to Reggie Miller (6’7″, 187 lbs) are frequent, and he enjoyed an 18-year career.  Honeycutt’s height and skills allow him to switch between guard and forward; OKC values that type of versatility.  He could develop into a phenomenal passer and stealer.

Justin Harper:
Mock Drafts – HOOPSWORLD ranks #24, DraftExpress ranks #28, and NBADraft.net ranks #26

Height: 6’8.75″ w/shoes (6’11.75″ wingspan)
Weight: 228
Age:  21 years old
College: Richmond, four years

Positives:
Excellent, fluid shooter
Pump fake/jab step and pick-and-pop master
Reliable free-throw shooting
Ball-handling
Three-point (and beyond) specialist

Concerns:
Tweener (fit may prove difficult)
Strength
Toughness
Lateral speed
Back-to-the-basket skills
Ability to put on weight

Harper, climbing many mock draft lists of late, is a classic combo forward who can flat-out shoot the ball.  Check these stats from his senior year: 17.9 ppg, .543 field-goal percentage, 2.1 three-pointers a game on .448 shooting, 6.9 rpg, 1.2 bpg.  This type of player seems custom-made to fill one of the Thunder’s primary holes.

Nikola Mirotic:
Mock Drafts – HOOPSWORLD ranks #29, DraftExpress ranks #29 and NBADraft.net ranks #34

Height: 6’10″ (did not attend the combine)
Weight:  225
Age:  20
College: Real Madrid; International / Born in Montenegro

Positives:
Good hands, soft shooting touch
Smart and quick decision-making
Good passing and court vision
Reliable shot, including long-distance
Low post moves
Versatile

Concerns:
Athleticism, strength
Needs to improve rebounding
Weak one-on-one to the basket
Slow shot release
Shot-blocking, leaping

In the event Presti elects to utilize the draft-and-stash route, he may well consider Mirotic.  Most agree he’s a few years away from being NBA-ready (not to mention the fact he comes with a $2.8M buyout), but he has the physical tools.

He’s heavily projected to become a star Euroleague player, having recently been crowned the 2011 Rising Star Trophy winner by Euroleague head coaches.  Ricky Rubio was the 2010 winner.  His surprising performance in the playoffs, including clutch and key contributions, turned heads.

Now a quick look at other players the Thunder may be considering; some may surprise you.

Davis Bertans:
Mock Drafts – HOOPSWORLD ranks #28, DraftExpress ranks #26, and NBADraft.net ranks #27
Numbers: 6’10″, 210 lbs, 18 years old
The Latvian small forward is another draft-and-stash candidate.  His shooting ability is excellent, causing some to even make Dirk Nowitzki comparisons.

Jimmy Butler:
Mock Drafts – HOOPSWORLD ranks #30, DraftExpress ranks #32, and NBADraft.net ranks #43
Numbers: 6’8″, 220 lbs, 21 years old
Butler is that type of solid player every team needs; he won’t be a star, but he’ll gladly do those intangible things that help a team win.  He averaged 15.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.3 apg and 1.4 spg last year at Marquette.

Josh Selby:
Mock Drafts – HOOPSWORLD ranks #26, DraftExpress ranks #33, and NBADraft.net ranks #41
Numbers: 6’3″, 195 lbs, 20 years old
Selby, who calls himself a combo guard, insists injuries and suspension prevented the “real” him to emerge during his one year at Kansas.  He averaged 7.9 ppg, 2.2 apg and 2.2 rpg.  One notable is his vertical leap of 42″ which was measured at the NBA combine (tied for first).  He was among a group of guards who impressed OKC in a recent workout; the fact they even worked out guards left many puzzled.

Chandler Parsons:
Mock Drafts – HOOPSWORLD ranks #49, DraftExpress ranks #34, and NBADraft.net ranks #30
Numbers: 6’9.75″, 221 lbs, 22 years old
The four-year Florida product is the ideal small forward size with speed, energy and sound shooting skills.  His solid ball-handling skills allow him to play point-forward.  Parsons is clutch and selfless (perhaps too much so), but defense is suspect.

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Whoever lands in the 24th spot next week (provided, of course, the pick is not traded or packaged),  should be happy to know the Oklahoma City Thunder was just voted sixth in ESPN’s “Best Franchises in Sports.”  To arrive at this ranking, 122 teams (including the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB) were considered.