Oklahoma City Thunder: 5 goals for the 2019 offseason

2. Use the first round draft pick to get a player who can help immediately

Westbrook will be 31 years old shortly after the 2019-20 NBA season begins. George turned 29 years old on May 2.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in “win now” mode while their superstars are in their athletic primes.

Even though they have never explicitly said it, Presti and the Thunder’s scouts have certain qualities they love to target in the draft: athletic, positional size, high ceiling and youth. It has been evident even in the past two years, with the team selecting Ferguson and Diallo.

In the 2019 NBA Draft, the Thunder can not afford to use their selection on another 19- or 20-year-old prospect that will take multiple years to develop. The luxury of time and patience is gone. In order to maximize Westbrook’s and George’s prime, Oklahoma City will need to draft a player who is ready to make an immediate impact on the team.

Those types of players are generally older — coming off of their junior or senior year of college — and usually described as having a “high floor” and a “low ceiling.” That shouldn’t be a concern for the Thunder’s scouting department. They don’t need to try and find the next Serge Ibaka. Drafting a player comparable to the Milwaukee Bucks’ Malcolm Brogdon should be the goal.