Oklahoma City will again have a stockpile of draft picks next offseason, and it now has a better idea of where those picks could land.
The NBA released the 2024-25 schedule on Thursday, and the Thunder know about not only their schedule but also the schedules of each team set to convey a pick to them next year. Thanks to trades throughout the Thunder’s rebuild, GM Sam Presti could own up to four first-round picks next season, with draft picks from five other teams in play.
The Thunder’s trades over the past few years have put them in a position to potentially receive a 2025 first-rounder from the LA Clippers, Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers. The Thunder will have the ability to swap its pick for either the Clippers’ or Rockets’ pick protected 1-10, while the other three teams would convey based on protections.
The Clippers' situation will be the most interesting for the Thunder to keep an eye on, as it is the only unprotected pick. With Paul George and Russell Westbrook gone, the team will rely on Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, who have had plenty of injury concerns in recent years.
Paired with their league-leading 16 back-to-backs and 13 games with a rest disadvantage, they could be in trouble. Meanwhile, Houston might be more likely to convey on paper, but with the pick protected for the top 10, Oklahoma City’s best bet is for a Rocket’s play-in appearance.
While Paul George’s free agency helped improve one pick, it might lock another into the late first round. The Thunder holds Philadelphia’s pick protected in the top six next season. Barring injuries, the 76ers pick is unlikely to be affected by their middle-of-the-pack rankings in rest and back-to-backs.
Perhaps the least likely pick to convey would be Utah’s top-10 protected pick. As the Jazz continue to rebuild, getting into the play-in race and out of the top 10 seems unlikely, but the Thunder could make an impact on that pick if they do.
Albeit unlikely, Oklahoma City could be in a position to tank for its pick from Utah, as those teams will match up in the 81st game. If the Thunder’s seed is secured and the Jazz are on the border of keeping their pick, a tank-off could be in store.
Despite the many possibilities elsewhere, Miami appears to be the Thunder’s surefire situation to earn a nice pick. Miami has hovered around the East play-in spots for the past couple of years and their pick is protected for the lottery in 2025. However, if Miami even narrowly misses out on the playoffs, that pick will convey in 2026 as an unprotected pick.
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One of Michigan football's top targets in the 2026 cycle, five-star running back Savion Hiter, is set to announce his decision on where he will continue his football career on Aug. 19. The coveted Louisa County (VA.) prospect will be deciding between the Wolverines. Ohio State, Georgia and Tennessee when he makes his decision in less than a month. Rivals national insiders have pegged Michigan and the Volunteers at the favorite in his recruitment, with Ohio State and Georgia trailing behind those two programs. Hiter, however, has kept tight to the vest during his process this year. Hiter too an official visit to Ann Arbor in June, which was one of his several visits to campus since April of last year. Michigan running backs coach Tony Alford, who has been recruiting Hiter since Alford was coaching running backs at Ohio State, has established a good relationship with the elite back and has put the Wolverines in a very good position entering Hiter's decision day next month. Hiter is the No. 8 overall prospect in the 2026 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings. He also ranks at the top prospect in the state of Virginia. More Michigan News Sherrone Moore on Michigan QB competition: 'There is no starter' Michigan fullback Max Bredeson: 'I'd play 10 years here if they'd let me' Sherrone Moore breaks down how he feels about Michigan's wide receiver room Michigan football head coach Sherrone Moore raves about OC Chip Lindsey
According to some, throw out the idea that the Edmonton Oilers should pursue Max Pacioretty. A veteran forward who has earned over $63 million over the course of his NHL career has yet to sign an NHL contract and was recently mentioned in a post by David Staples as a possible fit. In a recent post, the Journal noted, “All of the top NHL unrestricted free agents have already signed contracts, but there’s one big name player still available that makes good sense for the Edmonton Oilers to pursue.” Responses have been varied, with a few quite vocal about the Oilers not following Staples’ advice. “In what world does this make sense?????” writes a commenter on a recent post for The Hockey Writers. Another commenter wrote, “Pacioretty is a good journeyman player but he is injury prone now, late in his career. Oilers might be lucky to get 40 games out of him. They should look elsewhere instead of taking a chance on Patches.” Tyler Yaremchuk of Oilers Nation chimed in and said, “He scored five goals in 37 games last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Can’t stay healthy, very old, very slow.” Yaremchuk then went on a rant, listing several Oilers forwards who would be better than Pacioretty. What About Pacioretty on a PTO? Is there any reason that a team that is looking to get younger and faster, and move out depth pieces that were older and less productive than expected, would revert back to last summer’s strategy? It seems like an odd choice on the surface. Something would have to happen that would make giving Pacioretty a look risk-free. That means only a PTO. Even at that point, should he agree, it would require him to be willing to sign a two-way contract for the league minimum.
Shortly after former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback and current college football analyst Greg McElroy shared that someone "in the know" believes there's a possibility Nick Saban — who retired in January 2024 — might return to coaching, NFL insider Albert Breer suggested that the Dallas Cowboys could be a potential destination for the seven-time national champion. According to Mike Rodak of 247Sports, Saban was asked during a Friday appearance on Fox News if he intends to come out of retirement. "No, I'm really happy with what I'm doing right now," Saban responded. "It's exciting to still be involved in the game. It's exciting for me to work with athletic directors, conference commissioners, people in Congress to preserve the integrity of our game and continue to be able to create opportunities to help young people create value for their future that will help them be successful in their life, which is what we always try to do as a coach." Saban, now working as an ESPN analyst, will be 74 in October. Per Christian Datoc of the Washington Examiner, President Donald Trump could consider having Saban "lead a new commission examining problems arising with the growth of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights and coinciding changes to the NCAA transfer process." Meanwhile, it's thought that Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones could look to hire a big-name candidate if first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer fails to impress during the 2025 campaign. Additionally, Fox Sports personality Colin Cowherd recently hinted that Saban could be interested in becoming the head coach of the Cleveland Browns if the team selects Texas quarterback Arch Manning as the first pick in the 2026 draft. "There is no opportunity that I know of right now that would enhance me to go back to coaching," Saban added during Friday's segment. "I enjoy what I'm doing. I did it for 50 years. I loved it. I loved the relationships with the players. I loved the competition. But it's another station of life now. I enjoy what I'm doing right now and want to continue to do it — spend more time with my family, my grandchildren, my children. It's been really, really good." The "right now" portion of Saban's comments attracted the attention of Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, who was quick to point out he did not say "no for good" regarding a return to coaching. In short, it seems that rumors about Saban's future could hover over the college and pro football communities through at least the rest of the year.
The Green Bay Packers offense was dealt a bit of a blow early in training camp. Friday, third-round rookie wide receiver Savion Williams was a spectator for practice after suffering a concussion. Williams, chosen by the Packers with the No. 87 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, is aiming to climb the depth chart at a crowded wide receiver position this summer. At 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, Williams ran the 40-yard dash in a blazing 4.48 seconds during the NFL Combine and has the profile of potentially becoming a reliable possession receiver and after-the-catch weapon for quarterback Jordan Love and the Packers’ offense. Reaching those benchmarks and climbing the depth chart will have to wait, though, as Williams works his way through the concussion protocol and back onto the field for practices during training camp and the preseason this summer.
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