The Thunder recently took on an injury-ridden Philadelphia squad at home, and they dominated all 48 minutes, securing a 133-100 win. Oklahoma City decided to sit the majority of its players this game, and it still ended well for them. Fans are rejoicing as they tied the total wins from last season. Even though it is a win in the books, this one game could be a significant loss for the club. It will not be shown until the 2025 NBA Draft.
Recent Thunder Win Loss in Disguise
Sam Presti and this front office hold many draft picks for the future and many potential picks this summer. This Sixers pick has been something all Thunder fans have been looking out for all season. The Bricktown squad holds the Sixers pick, but it is top-six protected. This one pick has fluctuated between the five to nine range in the lottery. If it converts to Oklahoma City, the team could take many routes with the pick. They could package all their picks and move up in the draft, targeting Cooper Flagg. Another option is to trade all their picks, take Nikola Topic as the lone rookie, and get capital for later drafts.
There are many routes the front office can take, but this one win could come back to haunt them. Currently, on Tankathon, Philadelphia is sitting as the fifth overall pick. They were the sixth overall pick before the game against Oklahoma City. A Thunder loss would have moved them to seventh overall in the draft, making the pick more likely to convert to Presti and company. Getting a win and one step closer to securing the first seed is excellent. With a 12.5-game lead in the West and only 13 games left in the regular season, this was a game the team could have been okay with losing.
Not the End of the World
The sky’s not going to be falling for Oklahoma City. They can still end up with two picks in the draft and potentially three if lady luck is on their side. The draft lottery can be fickle, and we have seen teams with low odds of landing the first pick jumping to the top three. We have also seen top-five teams drop as well in the lottery. The Thunder can still quickly end up with this pick; it may take some luck now. Still, there is a decent chance the Thunder will get three picks in this year’s draft.
Also, it is not like the team needs these picks or the players. They boast the best record in the NBA, are not losing any players, and have a rookie coming in already. Topic will act as the team’s lone rookie next season, which is not bad. It is a good thing. They do not need to give up any players to acquire him, and he has now had a whole season to develop with NBA coaches. He will be more pro-ready than most if not the 2025 NBA Draft class. Ultimately, the motto “in Presti we trust” will be in full effect; with an experienced front office, the fanbase can rely on them to make the right move.
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