The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder are currently 18-1 without their second-best player, Jalen Williams, who is set to make his season debut on Saturday after dealing with a broken right hand. Needless to say, the Thunder are looking like a team capable of doing what no NBA champion has done since 2018: defend the crown.
But that’s just half the story here. These Thunder could run it back next season for a potential three-peat with the core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, Jaylin Williams, and Ajay Mitchell all signed up until the 2026–27 NBA season.
Thunder Can Reload on the Fly
Of course, things can get iffy for OKC after the 2026–27 NBA season once those extensions expire and it’s time to re-up those contracts. SGA, for instance, is sure to fetch a supermax in 2027, while Hartenstein, Dort, and Joe will be free agents who’ll likely want bigger contracts. Needless to say, the dreaded aprons could derail what could be a potential Thunder dynasty as early as 2027.
However, the defending champions have an ace up their sleeve: they can reload on the fly through the draft. In fact, they could get even scarier with a little lottery luck. And the best part is the Thunder don’t have to tank or miss the playoffs at all!
OKC Could Have Three (!) Lottery Picks in the 2026 NBA Draft
If early-season trends continue, the Thunder could have two lottery picks in the talent-rich 2026 NBA Draft. That’s because OKC owns the Los Angeles Clippers’ unprotected first-round pick from that 2019 trade that sent Paul George from the Thunder to the Clippers in exchange for SGA and a cadre of picks—including this potential lottery pick next year.
What’s more, the Jazz also owe the Thunder a 2026 pick should the former’s pick land outside the top eight. OKC got this pick in a 2021 deal where Utah sent Derrick Favors to the Thunder for draft capital to get under the luxury tax threshold. The pick was originally top-10 protected for the first two years before a slight modification that made it top-8 protected in 2026.
But that’s not all. The Thunder could have a third lottery pick in the same draft by way of the Philadelphia 76ers from a 2020 trade for Al Horford. Said pick also had protections but is now just top-4 protected, meaning OKC gets the pick if the Sixers’ draft position falls to fifth and beyond.
At the moment, the Clippers and Jazz look headed for the lottery, with the former on pace for only 23 wins and the latter on pace to win just 24. Even the Sixers, with the injury history of Joel Embiid and Paul George, might be lottery-bound as well, potentially giving the Thunder a chance at having three high draft picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Why This All Matters
This all matters for the Thunder because the 2026 NBA Draft could be the deepest in recent memory, as it could potentially be littered with game-changers.
A top-five pick, for instance, could yield someone like AJ Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9, do-it-all wing who has drawn comparisons to NBA legend Tracy McGrady. Dynamic wing Nate Ament could be had in the top 5 to 10, while highly regarded big man Chris Cenac Jr. could be a value pick in the latter part of the lottery.
This matters because the Thunder, if luck is on their side, can add potential difference-makers to a squad already loaded with game-changers—and this will only elevate OKC’s ceiling as a championship team. And in case the financial burden of keeping a stacked team finally catches up with the Thunder, they’d still have young, dynamic talent in the pipeline that will make it easier for OKC to let go of core players (except the reigning MVP, of course) if that’s what’s needed.
Needless to say, the future looks oh-so-bright for the Thunder—so much so that they could become the NBA’s next great dynasty.
