OKC Thunder Sports Minute

Sandy Creek high school coach Jon-Michael Nickerson remembers Jabari Smith telling Nickerson Smith would love to play for the Thunder years ago.

Smith signed with Auburn as a five-star prospect in the 2021 class, and after his standout freshman season with the Tigers, Smith is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, which is less than three weeks away.

If the Magic passes on Smith at No. 1, the Thunder would be in line to select Smith with the No. 2 pick. And what a match that would be, pairing Smith, a 6-foot-10 forward with a buttery jumper, alongside playmaking guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. Oh, and on the other end, Smith has the length, athleticism and tenacity to defend multiple positions. ...

The Boston Celtics are in the NBA Finals and former Thunder center Al Horford is right in the mix.

After sitting Horford for a majority of the season, the Thunder traded Horford to the Celtics, his former team, in exchange for veteran point guard Kemba Walker and the 16th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. OKC also dealt center Moses Brown to Boston, and the teams swapped future second-round picks.

It was a transactional win for the Thunder, which had room to absorb Walker’s contract while adding another first-round pick — which Presti would later turn into two future first-round picks on draft night.

For the Celtics, the trade might go down as a transformational win. Horford is a key reason why Boston is in the NBA Finals. In Horford's 69 starts in the regular season, and 17 playoff games, Horford has averaged 11.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.6 blocks per game. ...

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder Sports Minute: Jabari Smith would love to play for OKC