Thomas Sorber Selected by the OKC Thunder: NBA Draft Grades Roll In

Coming off their first NBA title, the Oklahoma City Thunder entered the 2025 Draft without pressing needs but with an eye toward sustained success. With the 15th pick, they selected Georgetown big man Thomas Sorber, a physically imposing, high-IQ center whose game blends old-school toughness with flashes of modern versatility. While cracking OKC’s deep rotation won’t happen overnight, the selection reflects the Thunder’s long-term vision and confidence in their player development infrastructure. Draft grades from around the league ranged from cautious optimism to outright praise, underscoring Sorber’s intriguing potential in the right system. Here's how analysts graded the pick.

>>> Thunder select Georgetown’s Thomas Sorber with No. 15 pick in 2025 NBA Draft

CBS Sports

15. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Heat): C Thomas Sorber, Georgetown

Coming off a title, Oklahoma City doesn't have rotation minutes up for grabs but the supporting cast needs to turn over around the team's stars. Don't expect much impact right away from Sorber, who has long, magnetic hands and has improved at a rapid rate in recent years. He should be able to really contribute in a year or two, which is what OKC is looking for. Grade: B

NBC Sports

Oklahoma City Thunder: B

Thomas Sorber (15)

Anyone the Thunder picked here was going to have a hard time cracking the rotation next season, this is the deepest team in the league. This gives the Thunder some time to figure out how to maximize one of the more unique players in the draft: A 6'9 center with a 7'6" wingspan and a strong NBA build that will let him play in the paint at the next level. He’s got a good feel for the game and touch at the rim. There isn’t a better franchise in the league at finding and developing talent, maybe we’re underestimating how good he can be.

Yahoo Sports

Oklahoma City Thunder: Thomas Sorber, F/C, Georgetown

Grade: A+

I think he was the best overall big in this draft class who moved up to that spot late in the talent evaluation process. Sorber has a brick-house frame and the throwback skill set to match with strong screens, soft-touch finishes, and gritty drop-coverage instincts. But to be more than a role player, he needs to tap into the flashes he shows as a shooter while also improving his perimeter defense. As is, he’s the best overall big in the draft. He’s not quite the scorer that Derik Queen is, and he’s not quite the defender Khaman Maluach is, and he’s not quite the athlete that Joan Beringer is. But he does a lot of everything, and impacts the game at a high level.

ESPN's Jeremy Woo on Sorber

To highlight a different selection, I'll go with Thomas Sorber at No. 15, a fit that makes a ton of sense for the Thunder. They were tipped as a trade-up team but were able to simply wait for him to fall to them. Oklahoma City made this selection with the long term in mind, considering starting center Isaiah Hartenstein might be tricky to retain when Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren move onto their second contracts next year.

The Thunder snagged a prospect with the skill set to provide a similar dimension and someone whom they can be patient with over the next season or two. This pick unsurprisingly spoke to the level of roster foresight with which the Thunder always approach the draft.

The Ringer

Winner: Not Overthinking It 

1. The Thunder stay winning, landing Thomas Sorber at no. 15. OKC has long been in need of some beef in the front line, and Sorber could be a plausible replacement for Isaiah Hartenstein down the road as a screener, physical rebounder, and high-feel playmaker at center. 

Bleacher Report

Grade: C+

Oklahoma City’s roster is the deepest in the NBA. Almost any direction the reigning champions went here was going to feel like a luxury pick. Thomas Sorber is no exception.

That isn't to say he’ll be unable to fill a rotation role next season. He has some real skills, and he isn’t afraid to mix it up in the middle. It’ll just be tough to crack a center rotation that already features Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams.

Sorber is a unique prospect, and not only because the 6'9", 263-pound big man has a 7'6" wingspan. There's some throwback, brute-force power in his game, along with some contemporary handles, short-roll passing and shooting confidence (if not shooting capability at this stage).

He also could be a tricky fit depending on how his development plays out. He isn't vertically explosive or especially nimble in space, so he could be challenged more than those dimensions would make you think. It would also really help if his jumper materializes, because there aren't many modern bigs who don't fit either the rim-running or stretch-center roles.

SBNation

Oklahoma City Thunder - Thomas Sorber, C, Georgetown

Grade: A-

Sorber is super long and super strong center with a 7’6 wingspan and 260+ pound frame. He’s a throwback big who sets hard screens, rebounds, and protects the rim. He doesn’t currently shoot threes and he doesn’t have great vertical athleticism yet. Still, this is an awesome fit to the OKC roster, and he should allow the team to move off Isaiah Hartenstein eventually for a cheaper backup center as the roster gets more expensive.