For The Win’s Bryan Kalbrosky ranked all 30 NBA teams based on how many draft picks they own during the remainder of the 2020s.
As Kalbrosky mentioned in the article, draft picks are the easiest way for teams to acquire a star player that’ll stay in the long term due to their rookie contract and first extension.
That is especially the case for small-market teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, who will never be big-time free agency players due to their location. It seems the Thunder front office are believers of this theory: They own the most first-round draft picks of any team for the remainder of this decade.
Thanks in large part to the Paul George and Russell Westbrook trades from 2019, the Thunder have stocked up with 15 first-round picks.
- 2023: Own (can swap w/ LAC)
- 2024: Own
- 2024: via HOU (protected 1-4)
- 2024: via UTA (protected 1-10)
- 2024: via LAC
- 2025: Own (can swap w/ HOU if 11-30 or LAC)
- 2025: via MIA (protected 1-14)
- 2025: via PHI (protected 1-6)
- 2026: via HOU (protected 1-4)
- 2026: Own
- 2026: via LAC
- 2027: via DEN 1-5
- 2027: Own
- 2028: Own
- 2029: Own
Potential pick swaps: 2
The Thunder already have a nice core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Josh Giddey and Lu Dort. Having 15 first-round draft picks down the line increases the ceiling of the franchise in multiple ways — whether by the team drafting its next franchise player or acquiring one via trade.
To see where the other 29 NBA teams stack up, click here for the full list.
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