How OKC Thunder Can Use Recently Acquired Second-Round Picks

The Thunder have been on the market for second-round picks all summer, and those moves could certainly have a great return on investment.

Sam Presti, Thunder General Manager, has his end-of-season media access, Monday, June 8, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma City has built up a stockpile of second-round picks this offseason, and they could be real difference-makers in the future.

On Sunday, the Thunder made a widely anticipated move when they sent Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a three-team trade with the Dallas Mavericks. In the deal that also sent former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher to Dallas and Ryan Nembhard to Atlanta, the Thunder secured a return of three future second-round picks for Dort.

Along with the obvious immediate implications of saving a significant amount in payroll and luxury tax and getting under the second apron, Sunday’s deal, alongside trading Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe, have helped the Thunder secure some extra assets. With two second-round picks apiece coming back in the Wiggins and Joe trades, Oklahoma City has acquired seven second-round picks total.

Using two second-round picks to move up and get Bennett Stirtz on draft night, the Thunder have netted five second-round picks this offseason while moving off of contracts that became financially troubling. While second-round picks are thrown around constantly in this age of the NBA, they still hold some clear value when it comes to making deals.

Of course, a second-round pick is nowhere near the same value as a first-round pick, but those second-rounders can still prove to be quite useful. As seen by Oklahoma City’s offseason deals, second-round picks can be used in a variety of ways.

Five second-round picks was the price for the Thunder to get Dillon Jones in 2024, and if Sam Presti wants to make another swing late in the first round, having some extra second-rounders can clearly be useful. As seen with the Stirtz deal, the Thunder may just end up using their newest surplus of picks to move up in the first round.

However, the most intriguing potential use of Oklahoma City’s second-round picks would be for the Thunder to benefit from a situation similar to theirs this offseason. With some sizeable trade exceptions to work with through next offseason and a clear path toward hitting the second apron in 2027-28, the Thunder could use their picks to add a solid role player next year.

Avoiding the second apron is clearly a top priority around the league, and if Wiggins, Joe and Dort can all be had for two or three second-round picks, the Thunder might be able to be the team sending out picks for a player of that caliber in the summer of 2027. Things will be more complicated next offseason, and the price of keeping this team together and adding more talent will only go up, but if the owners are committed to spending in future years as Presti recently noted, the Thunder might be looking to cash in on these second-rounders next offseason.