The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder are the perfect staff in basketball. Groundbreaking stuff, I do know.
However past having simply the perfect report within the NBA and being so dominant on a nightly foundation that they’ve been capable of relaxation reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in fourth quarters, the reigning champions might be even higher by the tip of subsequent yr’s draft.
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That’s not how it’s presupposed to work. However the Thunder, who completed final season with a 68-14 report and look on monitor to enhance that with a 17-1 begin to their 2025-26 marketing campaign, may have as much as 4 first-round picks in 2026.
Essentially the most profitable of the lot, from the Clippers, has the complete NBA on discover.
You see, Oklahoma Metropolis continues to be owed L.A.’s unprotected 2026 first-round choose from the Paul George commerce in 2019.
That’s proper, what has already gone down as one of many worst trades in NBA historical past might be about to get even worse.
Now, nobody is blaming the Clippers for making the commerce. In spite of everything, in the event that they didn’t make it there can be no Kawhi Leonard, who made it clear he would solely make the swap to L.A. if George was coming with him.
However the commerce, which noticed the Clippers ship now reigning MVP and unanimous top-five NBA expertise Gilgeous-Alexander together with Danilo Gallinari, 4 first-round picks and two choose swaps continues to be tougher to abdomen with yearly that passes.
The Thunder ended up drafting Tre Mann, Jalen Williams, Dillon Jones and Thomas Sorber with these picks and whereas will probably be exhausting to prime Williams, who made his first All-Star staff final yr, this 2026 draft may give the Thunder a uncommon probability to do exactly that.
Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU wing AJ Dybantsa and Duke ahead Cameron Boozer are the three large names separating themselves on this yr’s class. However simply how good are they?
Effectively, The Athletic’s NBA draft knowledgeable Sam Vecenie wrote earlier this month that every one three “presently challenge for me as prospects in the identical tier as Cooper Flagg was”.
“Which is saying quite a bit,” Vecenie added, “and can seemingly result in quite strong tanking down the stretch of the NBA season”.
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The Clippers, nevertheless, gained’t be a kind of groups or, not less than, any potential strikes to tear it down will solely hinge on what kind of presents they obtain with no incentive in any other case to intestine their roster in a bid to safe a better draft choose.
It is going to be Oklahoma Metropolis, as a substitute, who profit and with accidents already testing the depth of an ageing Clippers roster, it’s beginning to look more and more seemingly that L.A.’s choose may fall contained in the lottery.
“It’s simply completely loopy,” NBA character Kevin O’Connor mentioned on his podcast.
What’s extra, the Thunder may really find yourself with as many as 4 first-round picks in subsequent yr’s draft. L.A.’s unprotected choose is essentially the most useful, however in addition they acquired a top-four protected choose from Philadelphia in 2020.
If it doesn’t convey in 2026 or 2027, Philadelphia will owe OKC its 2027 second-round choose. However with the Sixers being 9-7 to this point this season, it appears extra seemingly that the choose will convey except accidents hit Philadelphia.
Oklahoma Metropolis additionally acquired a top-eight protected choose from Utah in 2026, though in a really aggressive Western Convention the Jazz usually tend to tank in a bid to maintain that choose.
Both method, it’s trying just like the Thunder ought to have not less than three picks, with the reigning champions additionally to obtain essentially the most beneficial choose between Houston (top-four protected) and its personal choose.
For a staff that with the shortest title odds getting into the season because the powerhouse Golden State Warriors in 2017-18, it’s hardly just like the Thunder want any further assist — particularly when you think about they’ve gained 17 of their first 18 video games with out their second greatest participant.
However the actuality is that even when the Clippers move a number of extra susceptible groups like Utah, Memphis and Phoenix within the standings within the Western Convention, it’s exhausting to see them being far more than a play-in staff and the ageing core of this roster solely makes it extra inclined to falling aside.
Leonard already missed 10 video games by means of harm and has by no means been the image of well being later in his profession, whereas James Harden carried a heavy load in his absence.
Any accidents to both Leonard or Harden may doom L.A.’s season and would fall proper into Oklahoma Metropolis’s palms, whereas establishing the potential for a draft-day situation which ESPN’s Tim Bontemps mentioned would outcome within the NBA world “melting down”.
“The Clippers, not less than in concept, ought to be capable of get into the play-in and perhaps probably mitigate a few of the embarrassment of that choose,” Bontemps mentioned on ‘The Hoops Collective’ podcast.
“But when James Harden will get harm in any respect or Kawhi is out of the line-up extra, it may not matter. I tweeted it the opposite day in the course of one in all these video games, I’m simply ready for the web to interrupt in Could once we get to the draft lottery and the Thunder wind up with Darryn Peterson or AJ Dybantsa or Cameron Boozer or one in all these guys with this Clippers choose and the world simply melts down.”
In fact, even when the Thunder don’t find yourself stumbling their method right into a top-three choose on this yr’s draft, it isn’t like every rival entrance workplace within the NBA needs to see Oklahoma Metropolis with even a top-10 choice.
In spite of everything, you will need to keep in mind this is similar staff that struck gold with Jalen Williams at twelfth general whereas Cason Wallace (No.12) and Ajay Mitchell (No.38) are beginning to emerge as useful position gamers.
In the meantime, each of Oklahoma Metropolis’s most up-to-date prime picks Nikola Topić (No.12) and Thomas Sorber (No.15) haven’t been capable of get on the courtroom however are additionally anticipated to solely make the defending champions even stronger.
Add within the reality the Thunder have 13 future first-round picks, together with all seven of their very own, and the remainder of the NBA might be holding their breath any time Leonard or Harden goes down.
“They’re (the Clippers) screwing over extra than simply their very own fan base and their very own staff. They’re really taking part in with the way forward for the remainder of the NBA,” Justin Termine, host of NBA In the present day on SiriusXM NBA Radio, mentioned on ‘The Kevin O’Connor Present’.
“Denver can’t win a championship pretty much as good as they’re. The Knicks, the Cavaliers (can’t win the championship) … in the event that they’re going at hand OKC the primary or second general choose on this draft.”