Oklahoma City will once again have a stockpile of draft picks next offseason, and now has a better idea of where those picks might land.
The NBA unveiled its 2024-25 schedule on Thursday, and the Thunder not only know their schedule, but also the schedule of every team expected to hand them a pick next year. Thanks to trades made throughout the Thunder’s rebuild, general manager Sam Presti could own as many as four first-round picks next season, with draft picks from five other teams on the line.
The Thunder’s trades in recent years have allowed them to potentially receive a 2025 first-round pick from the LA Clippers, Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers. The Thunder will have the option to trade their pick for either the Clippers or Rockets protected 1-10, while the other three teams would pass it on based on protections.
The Clippers situation will be the most interesting to watch for the Thunder, as it is the only unprotected pick. With Paul George and Russell Westbrook gone, the team will be counting on Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, who have had numerous injury issues in recent years.
With a league-leading 16 games lost and 13 games without rest, they could be in trouble. Meanwhile, Houston might be more likely to succeed on paper, but with the top-10 pick protected, Oklahoma City’s best bet is a Rockets play-in.
While Paul George’s free agency improved one pick, it could lock up another late in the first round. The Thunder are protecting Philadelphia’s top-six pick next season. Barring an injury, the 76ers’ pick shouldn’t be affected by their middle-of-the-pack ranking in rest and back-to-back.
Perhaps the least likely pick to pass on would be Utah’s protected top-10 pick. As the Jazz continue to rebuild, it seems unlikely they’ll qualify for the play-in and fall out of the top 10, but the Thunder could make an impact on that pick if they do.
While unlikely, Oklahoma City could be able to tank its Utah pick, as the two teams will face off in Game 81. If the Thunder’s spot is secured and the Jazz are set to retain their pick, a tank could be in the cards.
Despite the many options elsewhere, Miami seems like the Thunder’s safe spot to get a good pick. Miami has been bouncing around the East play-in spots the last two years and its pick is lottery-protected in 2025. However, if Miami narrowly misses the playoffs, that pick will be conveyed in 2026 as an unprotected pick.
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