The Oklahoma City Thunder are still the team to beat in the Western Conference, and they have had a fantastic season thus far.
Naturally, the Thunder defeated the Memphis Grizzlies in the opening round of the playoffs after finishing the regular season with the NBA’s best record.
Oklahoma City defeated the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of the second round to tie the series at 2-2. They will now play Game 5 at home on Tuesday night in an attempt to take total control of the series.
The Thunder have a lot riding on Monday night at the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, even if their main goal this season is to bring a championship to Oklahoma City.
Due to a previous transaction, Oklahoma City presently owns the first-round picks of the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers.After placing eighth in the Eastern Conference standings, the Heat were selected with the 15th pick in the draft; the Thunder will now acquire that pick.
Los Angeles has Oklahoma City’s 30th overall pick, and the Thunder also have the Clippers’ pick, which is 24th overall, as part of a pick swap.
The Thunder might also acquire the Philadelphia 76ers’ first-round pick, even though these two selections are excellent for them as they seek to add even more talent in the competitive 2025 draft.
Philadelphia’s top-six protected first-round pick is owned by Oklahoma City. The 76ers have the fifth-best odds (10.5%) of winning the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes and obtaining the first pick in the draft, but they also run the risk of dropping out of the top six, which would give the Thunder their pick.