The Thunder Are 20–1. Their Future Is Even Brighter

The NBA’s defending champions continue to have an embarrassment of riches. 

The Thunder are 20–1 as of Tuesday. That’s the league’s best record and one that gives them a real chance at the Warriors’ 73–9 mark from 2016.

Jalen Williams, arguably the team’s second best player, returned last week from a wrist injury—and at a discount. Williams missed 19 games, making him ineligible for All NBA honors at the end of the season, preventing his contract from increasing by as much as $9 million annually. 

And if other teams couldn’t be envious enough, the Thunder are also projected to have four first-round picks in the NBA draft and, with three of them are expected to land in the lottery.

“This is the year to have a lottery pick,” an Eastern Conference executive recently told Front Office Sports. “The whole lottery is stacked.” 

The Clippers owe their unprotected 2026 first-round pick to the Thunder, as the final payment from the 2019 trade that sent Paul George from Oklahoma City to Los Angeles with reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in return along with five first-round picks. Williams is one of the players the Thunder netted from that trade. 

Tankathon currently projects the Clippers pick to land in the top five as the team is just 5–16, tied for second-worst in the Western Conference.

The Thunder also has a top-eight protected pick from the Jazz from a 2021 trade to acquire Derrick Favors and a top-four protected pick from the Sixers. Both picks are currently set to convey. The Sixers pick is from a 2020 trade for current Warriors center Al Horford and was pushed back to 2026 after the team fell into the top-four of the 2025 lottery and selected Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe. 

It’s unknown if the Thunder will hold onto every pick or trade several, but it’s a champagne problem for Sam Presti, the team’s longtime general manager who won Executive of the Year in May. 

Outside of three potential lottery picks, the Thunder also have the Rockets’ 2026 first-round pick. It’s top-four protected and likely to  to convey given Houston’s 13–5 start. The Wizards will receive the worst of the first-round picks among the Thunder, Rockets and Clippers. Tankathon currently projects that as the No. 30 pick—the slot the league champion picks from.