That is the most likely outcome, but …

That is the most likely outcome, but it’s not the only one. The other, more intriguing possibility, is that the Thunder could go shopping themselves, especially if they don’t land as high in the lottery as they hoped. The plan in Oklahoma City isn’t to just suck forever, and the Thunder’s hoard of future picks is a great way to bring in talent. If Ben Simmons hadn’t been traded, for instance, I’d been told to watch out for the Thunder trading their first in this draft to take Simmons into cap space. While few good young players end up on the trade market, this is a space to watch the Thunder in June.