Thunder Secure Lottery Pick After Clippers’ Play-In Loss

Wednesday night’s matchup between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors resulted in a 126-121 victory for the tenth-seeded Warriors, effectively knocking the Clippers out of the play-in tournament. Although Clippers fans will be disappointed, Oklahoma City Thunder fans have good reason to be excited.

The Clippers’ loss puts them in a position to earn a lottery pick going into the 2026 NBA Draft. While this would be promising under any other circumstances, OKC has the right to swap the Clippers’ first-round pick with its own because of the 2019 trade involving Paul George and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Probability suggests the Thunder could end up with the No. 11 pick or the No. 12 pick in the draft if they choose to swap with the Clippers. Should the Warriors lose to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, the Thunder will secure the 12th pick, posting a 7.1% chance of moving into the top four. However, should the Warriors secure the eighth seed by beating the Suns, OKC will end up with the 11th pick and a 9.4% chance of moving into the top four.

While there is a greater likelihood for the Thunder to receive the 11th or 12th pick, this doesn’t necessarily negate their chances of landing the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Given that they would still enjoy a 1.5% chance of winning the first overall pick, OKC may see the value in betting on those odds.

The Oklahoma City Thunder ended the 2025-26 season with the best record in the NBA (64-18), cementing their position as the top-seeded team in the West for the second consecutive year. While this is already a clear indication of how dominant OKC has been, the Thunder could become even scarier.

The Thunder Have More Assets In The Upcoming Draft

Thunder GM Sam Presti has effectively positioned the Oklahoma City Thunder to become a dynasty for the ages. Barring the lottery pick the Thunder have gained from the Clippers’ loss, OKC still has two more first-round picks heading into this year’s draft.

One of these is a top-four protected first-round pick from the Philadelphia 76ers, which was acquired via trade in 2020. The pick was initially a top-six protected pick last year, but since it didn’t convey, the Thunder will gain a first-round pick this year after Philadelphia secured a playoff berth.

Similarly, the Thunder also have a top-eight protected first-round pick courtesy of the Utah Jazz. While it was acquired in 2024 and largely followed a similar mechanism to the 76ers’ pick, the circumstances are slightly different.

The Jazz are currently tied with the Sacramento Kings for the fourth-best odds in the lottery. Should the Jazz succeed in drawing these odds, they will retain their top-eight pick, ensuring that all links with OKC on this front are severed. However, if the Jazz end up with the fifth-best odds, the likelihood of the pick falling outside the top eight increases, raising the possibility of losing it to the Thunder.

In conclusion, Oklahoma could boast three first-round draft picks this year, while simultaneously being the favorites to win the championship. Considering how strong the team already is and how stacked the upcoming draft class is expected to be, OKC’s reign of dominance may just be beginning.