Former Kentucky star Otega Oweh taken by OKC in second round of NBA Draft
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Former Kentucky standout guard Otega Oweh will be starting his NBA career in the same state where he started his collegiate career.
Oweh, who spent 2 seasons at Oklahoma from 2022-24 before transferring to Kentucky for his last 2 seasons in college, was selected with the 41st overall pick of the NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. The Thunder traded down 4 spots in the second round from No. 37, acquiring the 41st pick they used on Oweh from the Miami Heat, which took OKC’s No. 37 pick.
That not only means that Oweh is headed back to the state of Oklahoma to join a loaded Thunder franchise that won the 2025 NBA title and came close this past season, it also means that Oweh will join a few former Kentucky greats who are already settled in there. Oweh will pair up with ex-Wildcats Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, arguably the best player in the NBA, and Cason Wallace, so all of a sudden, the Thunder will have a distinct Big Blue flavor when training camp begins this fall.
But there will also be that connection for Oweh between Norman and Oklahoma City, which are only about 30 miles away from each other. Oweh will be getting started in the NBA just down the road, so to speak, from Norman, so he’ll get the unique opportunity to represent the state in both college and as a pro.
After committing to Oklahoma as a 4-star recruit out of high school, Oweh made his mark in college at Kentucky, where he was the unquestioned star of the Wildcats before heading off to the NBA Draft. During his senior season in Lexington, Oweh averaged 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
Oweh played his high school ball in New Jersey, earning that 4-star acclaim before heading off to Oklahoma, where he would average 11.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game as a sophomore in Norman.
After showing off his potential at Oklahoma, Oweh became a star at SEC rival Kentucky, averaging 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game for Mark Pope during his first season in Lexington as a junior.
Oweh decided to return to Kentucky for his senior season and made it count, and now the Thunder had enough belief in Oweh to bring him into the OKC culture that has produced many victories and an NBA title in recent seasons.
For Oweh, it’ll be a happy return to the state he knows very well.
While Oweh heads off to the NBA, Kentucky will reload for the 2026-27 season in the hopes of being relevant in the national title discussion. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the odds for those elite teams to be cutting down the nets next April:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
