NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 23: An Oklahoma City Thunder hat sits on stage during the 2022 NBA Draft … More
The Oklahoma City Thunder has put together an incredible 2024-25 campaign to this point, boasting the best record in the NBA at 61-12. The Thunder is poised to make a deep playoff push in attempt to win an NBA Championship this summer, but also will come away from this season with tremendous upside in the draft.
The Thunder entered the season with the chance to have four first-round selections in the 2025 NBA Draft, but protections on those picks have altered that upside. Now, there’s a real chance that Oklahoma City only has one first rounder in June. However, that may not be a bad thing for OKC given the circumstances of picks not conveying this summer.
Let’s take a look at Oklahoma City’s potential first-round picks in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft.
Will Convey
LA Clippers/Houston Rockets (Swap Rights)
The Thunder has the rights to swap its 2025 first-round pick for either the Houston Rockets’ 2025 first-round pick (Protected 1-10) or the LA Clippers’ 2025 first-round choice. Given the Thunder has the best record in the NBA and has already clinched the best record in the Western Conference for this season, both the Rockets and Clippers will have better first-round draft positioning and OKC will swap with whichever team has the earlier pick.
As of now, Houston is slated No. 27 and LA is at No. 21, so if the season ended today the Thunder would get the No. 21 pick from the Clippers. In short, OKC will get a mid-to-late first-round pick from either the Rockets or Clippers this summer via a swap.
Could Convey
Philadelphia 76ers (Protected 1-6)
The Philadelphia 76ers have faced tremendous misfortune this season with injuries and now could also have to give up a lottery pick to the Thunder. The Sixers owe their first- round pick (top-six protected) to the Thunder from the Al Horford trade in 2020. Philadelphia currently has the sixth-worst record in the NBA, meaning the sixth-best lottery odds. If the Draft Lottery shakes out exactly how the odds are positioned, the 76ers would keep their pick at No. 6 for the 2025 NBA Draft. There’s also a chance they earn an even better pick within the top-five, or conversely fall out of the top-six and convey the pick to OKC depending on how the lottery unfolds. For the Thunder to get the Sixers’ pick this summer, they need to fall to the No. 7 pick or worse on lottery night.
If Philadelphia ends up keeping its pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Thunder will then have the rights to the Sixers’ first-round pick in the following draft (2026) with top-four protections. From there, if it doesn’t convey in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Thunder will once again have the rights to the the 76ers’ pick in the 2027 NBA Draft, once again top-four protected. If that doesn’t convey in 2027, then the Thunder will just get Philadelphia’s second-round pick in the 2027 NBA Draft.
Miami Heat (Protected 1-14)
The Miami Heat have not put together the season many expected, ultimately trading Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors at the trade deadline and beginning a new era for the franchise. Miami now has the tenth-worst record in the NBA and is projected to be in the Play-In Tournament. If the Heat misses the actually playoffs, their pick will fall into the lottery and they will keep it. If not, it will be Oklahoma City’s selection and is projected to be just outside of the lottery in that case.
If this pick doesn’t convey this summer, it could be good news for the Thunder. If that happens and the Heat land in the lottery and keep their pick, Oklahoma City then gets the rights to Miami’s unprotected first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Given how the Heat have looked in over the past several weeks, that could end up being a great pick next summer.
Will Not Convey
Utah Jazz (Protected 1-10)
The Utah Jazz have the worst record in the NBA, so given the way the lottery system is set up there is no way they can fall outside of the top-10. Even if Utah won every game for the remainder of the season, the Jazz still wouldn’t fall far enough in the reverse standings to have a chance to convey this pick.
As such, the Thunder’s rights to this pick will be deferred to the 2026 NBA Draft with top-eight protections. This is the one pick of the four potential first-round selections the Thunder owned entering this season that officially will be pushed to a later draft.
It’s worth noting that Oklahoma City also owns a second-round pick from the Atlanta Hawks (Protected 31-40) that could also convey this summer. If the season ended today, the Thunder would get that pick from the Hawks and it would be slated at No. 44 overall. Beyond that, there’s only one other pick – the Clippers’ first-round choice – that has a good chance to be in play for the 2025 NBA Draft.
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