"The Oklahoma City Thunder are 21-1 and the prohibitive favorite to repeat as NBA champions this year; they also might improve dramatically this offseason. That is because the Thunder own outright the Los Angeles Clippers' first-round pick in the 2026 draft. The dark provenance of that pick is a 2019 trade between these teams in which the Thunder shed Paul George and acquired Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the rare "future podcaster" to "future MVP" upgrade."
"Now the old and miserable Clippers, who at the outset of the season were projected by ESPN to win 49.7 games, are 6-16. On-court they appear unambiguously toilet-bound. Off-court they are apparently so dysfunctional that Chris Paul couldn't even complete his retirement tour without getting fired first. That all means that Oklahoma City is now on track to select a player in the highest reaches of the lottery, from a strong draft class, six months from now."
The Thunder are 21-1 and heavy favorites to repeat as NBA champions while also holding a valuable offseason asset. The Thunder own the Clippers' 2026 first-round pick, a result of the 2019 trade that sent Paul George away and brought Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Clippers sit 6-16 after preseason projections near 50 wins and show severe on- and off-court dysfunction. That trajectory makes the Clippers' pick likely to land high in a strong draft class, increasing the Thunder's chance to improve and creating a competitive threat that could pressure rival teams to aid the Clippers short-term.
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