Oklahoma

In Northwest Division, NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder get deeper, Jazz get busy, Wolves go big

Published

8 months ago

June 26, 2025

In Northwest Division, NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder get deeper, Jazz get busy, Wolves go big

After building an NBA championship team with a commitment to young player development, the Oklahoma City Thunder dived back into the draft pool a few days after the celebration.

The Thunder used the 15th overall pick in the first round on Wednesday night on Thomas Sorber, a 6-foot-9 versatile defender with the potential to be an effective low-post scorer who played one season in college at Georgetown.

Sorber can provide some bulk and depth behind the slender Chet Holmgren and his frontcourt partner, Isaiah Hartenstein. Oklahoma City also had the 24th pick, sending it to Sacramento in a proposed trade.

General manager Sam Presti’s trades in recent years have allowed the Thunder to stockpile picks for maximum control over the most unpredictable aspect of professional sports. They have as many as 10 first-round picks, including their own, over the next five years, including three in 2026. Last year’s first-rounder, point guard Nikola Topic, is nearly recovered from a torn ACL in his left knee that kept him out for his entire rookie season.

The Utah Jazz, who bottomed out this season with the worst record in the league, have a long way to go with their rebuild. After bad lottery luck left them with the fifth overall pick, they took wing Ace Bailey, who spent his only college season at Rutgers.

“I feel like I can improve on everything. I’m very young,” Bailey told reporters. “I’m just coming to the game, so it’s a lot of stuff I can improve, physically and mentally. I mean, from jump shots to more creativity, to more ballhandling, just all over the place.”

The Jazz later moved up from 21st to 18th in a proposed trade with Washington that netted them point guard Walter Clayton Jr. from national champion Florida, a 22-year-old whose ball skills and clutch shooting were on full display throughout the NCAA Tournament.

The Portland Trail Blazers moved down from 11th to 16th in a proposed trade with Memphis that landed them another big man, the 7-foot-2 Yang Hansen.

With a young group led by Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan, the Blazers finished a better-than-expected 36-46 this season. They recently acquired two-time All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday from Boston for Anfernee Simons.

The Minnesota Timberwolves went big, too, with the 18-year-old project Joan Beringer at No. 17. He’s from France, like veteran Rudy Gobert, the four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Denver Nuggets

One team that could’ve used a pick on Wednesday was Denver, which owed its first-rounder to Orlando as part of the 2021 trade for Aaron Gordon.

The Nuggets, who recently reorganized their front office, don’t have a second-rounder, either. They’re counting on a contribution this season from DaRon Holmes, their 2024 first-rounder who missed his rookie year following Achilles tendon surgery, but they could use more depth around superstar Nikola Jokic, point guard Jamal Murray and Gordon.

Utah Jazz

Needs: Dominant scorer, ball-handling guard.

Drafted: Ace Bailey, wing, Rutgers. Walter Clayton Jr., point guard, Florida. Bailey can shoot from anywhere on the court and should give the Jazz some future scoring punch. Clayton ought to be better-suited to immediately contribute after a standout four-year college career that included a run to this year’s NCAA championship.

Current NBA player comparisons: Paul George (Bailey), Coby White (Clayton).

Portland Trail Blazers

Needs: 3-point shooter, perimeter depth.

Drafted: Yang Hansen, center, China. Somewhat of a surprise at No. 16 overall after a proposed trade with Memphis, the 19-year-old Hansen at 7-foot-1 led the Chinese Basketball Association in blocks.

Current NBA player comparison: Zach Edey.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Needs: Frontcourt player with bulk, 3-point shooting wing.

Drafted: Thomas Sorber, power forward, Georgetown. His 6-foot-9, 263-pound frame filled a need for a bigger body as a backup to Chet Holmgren at power forward or to play alongside him when bulky center Isaiah Hartenstein is resting. Sorber’s natural strength and long arms make him an effective rebounder and shot-blocker who can also finish at the rim with the ball.

Current NBA player comparison: Kevon Looney.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Needs: Pass-first point guard, center with scoring touch.

Drafted: Joan Beringer, center, France. The 6-foot-11 project just picked up the game four years ago after switching from soccer and will have an ideal mentor in Rudy Gobert.

Current NBA player comparison: Jaxson Hayes.

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AP Sports Writers Cliff Brunt in Oklahoma City and Anne M. Peterson in Portland, Oregon, contributed.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

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Oklahoma

The Spring adds immersive walkthrough to annual Encounter Hope gala in Sand Springs, Oklahoma

Published

2 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

The Spring adds immersive walkthrough to annual Encounter Hope gala in Sand Springs, Oklahoma

TULSA, OKLA. (KTUL) — A Tulsa-based nonprofit is adding an immersive, walkthrough experience to its annual fundraising gala, aiming to give attendees a closer look at what survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking face — and how support services can help.

The Spring, which provides services to people impacted by domestic violence and human trafficking, will feature the walkthrough as part of Encounter Hope, its annual gala set for April 9 at the Arvest Convention Center.

The experience is designed to guide guests through the story of an abuse survivor across four stages of interaction with The Spring: the inciting incident, the crisis call, time at the emergency crisis shelter, and moving into safety.

“The idea is really to put you in the shoes of the people that we serve every day,” Allison Wells,

The Spring’s events and environments coordinator, said. “It’s easy to throw out stats about violence and trafficking in Oklahoma, throw out our service numbers each year, but these are really peoples’ lives. We want to put our attendees in the mindset of one person, one story. What would you do if you were facing this?”

After the walkthrough, attendees will have the opportunity to assemble move-in kits for The Spring’s shelter guests and write personal notes of encouragement.

The program portion of the evening will include a panel discussion hosted by Karen Larsen, an Emmy Award-winning journalist who anchored Tulsa’s Channel 2 for almost 30 years.

“Tulsa is an incredibly charitable city, and we know that these kinds of gala events aren’t rare here,” Leslie Clingenpeel, The Spring’s CEO, said. “Our goal is to go beyond the model of these fundraising-only type events. More than anything, we want people to understand what we do, to know that we’re here, to know what our frontline advocates are doing every single day. Domestic violence and trafficking are hard to look away from once you’re aware of them. We want to build that awareness to the people of this city.”

Individual tickets and table packages are available for purchase.

Attendees are encouraged to register before April 1 because space is limited.

More details and purchasing information are available at www.thespringok.org/encounterhope.

The Spring is a Tulsa-based nonprofit offering services to those affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking.

The organization provides emergency crisis shelter, transitional living, and non-residential services.

More information is available at www.thespringok.org.

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma State outlasts UCF in overtime, Houston next

Published

14 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Oklahoma State outlasts UCF in overtime, Houston next

ORLANDO, Fla. –

The Oklahoma State Cowboys men’s basketball bounced back in a big way Tuesday night.

Anthony Roy scored 27 points and Kanye Clary added 23, including seven in overtime, as Oklahoma State defeated the UCF Knights men’s basketball 111-104 in Orlando.

The Cowboys controlled the extra period, finishing overtime on an 11-4 run and outscoring UCF 17-10.

Clary played a major role in closing it out. He hit a key 3-pointer and went 4-for-4 from the free throw line in overtime to help seal the win.

The victory moves Oklahoma State to 18-12 overall and 6-11 in the Big 12, and gives the Cowboys two wins in their last three games after snapping a five-game losing streak. UCF, now 20-9 (9-8 Big 12), has dropped two straight.

Roy and Clary led a balanced offensive effort. Jaylen Curry and Christian Coleman each added 16 points, while the Cowboys shot 49% from the field (35-of-72) and 80% from the free throw line (32-of-40).

Themus Fulks led UCF with 22 points, while Riley Kugel added 18.

Late-game drama forces overtime

The final seconds of regulation were chaotic.

With 24 seconds remaining, Isaiah Coleman threw down a dunk to give Oklahoma State a 94-91 lead.

But UCF answered quickly when Chris Johnson hit a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left, tying the game at 94-94.

Oklahoma State had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but Jaylen Curry missed a shot, and John Bol blocked Roy’s attempt, sending the game to overtime.

Cowboys respond after tough loss

The Cowboys showed resilience after Saturday’s lopsided loss to Cincinnati.

The team traveled directly to Orlando following that defeat and was pushed through two intense practices by head coach Steve Lutz and the coaching staff.

The response was clear.

Led by Roy’s scoring and Clary’s clutch overtime performance, Oklahoma State delivered a gritty win and swept the season series against UCF

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