How Many Picks Will OKC Thunder Have in 2026 NBA Draft?

After hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the first time in franchise history, the Oklahoma City Thunder hope to become a dynasty. The Thunder have locked up its star trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren this offseason with massive contract extensions.

The pathway to sustainability for the Thunder is through the NBA Draft, the lifeblood of every franchise, with the new CBA salary cap restrictions. A path to cost-controlled talent to supplement an expensive group.

Good news for Oklahoma City, they have a bevy of future NBA Draft picks. Including in the loaded 2026 NBA Draft with a class that is talent-rich at the top but also shows the potential to be incredibly deep. Let's break down the future assets the Thunder have in the 2026 Draft.

OKC Thunder 2026 NBA First-Round Draft Picks

• Houston Rockets (Top-Four protected)
• L.A. Clippers (Unprotected)
• Philadelphia 76ers (Top-Four protected)
• Utah Jazz (Top-Eight Protected)

Note: Least Favorable of Houston/OKC/LA Clippers selection heads to Washington.

If you had to place your bets right now, with how these teams look on paper, how many picks will Oklahoma City be left with?

The Utah Jazz pick is top eight protected and they aren't even worth monitoring. A young core without a franchise player stares down a loaded draft class such as the 2026 NBA Draft with one goal in mind: lose. It would be beyond stunning to see Utah fork over this pick to OKC. The Jazz will retain that pick.

On the flip side, it would be stunning to see the Houston Rockets finish in the top four, opening their pick to the Thunder. The No. 2 seed in the Western Conference a year ago bolstered its roster in a big way this offseason, adding Kevin Durant and solid role players Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela. This trio complements the Rockets' established young core and has H-Town thinking titles, not lottery balls.

The Philadelphia 76ers have the widest range of outcomes this NBA season among the league's 30 teams. If the injury bug continues to bite the City of Brotherly Love, you could see the 76ers plummet as they did a year ago. However, being in the top four takes more than losses, but also luck. This scribe would project the 76ers to let go of their pick to the Thunder by not getting a pick that lands No. 1-4 in a loaded class.

Finally, the L.A. Clippers see their selection left unprotected, but that leaves the question of who is sending their pick to Washington? The Wizards are owed the worst pick of the Clippers, Rockets and Thunder trio.

On paper right now, you would assume Oklahoma City will be the best team in basketball again, ripping off their third straight No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. This would send the Thunder's pick to D.C.

Where this would leave Oklahoma City

If this plays out as foretold above, the Thunder would be left with three picks, seeing the Utah Jazz cling to their selection and the OKC Thunder's own pick being shipped to Washington.

Projected 2026 First-Round NBA Draft Picks for OKC Thunder

1. Philadelphia 76ers
2. L.A. Clippers
3. Houston Rockets

Oklahoma City also has a second-round pick coming its way via the Philadelphia 76ers, fetching the Thunder four total selections in the 2026 NBA Draft if these projections hold.