How Joel Embiid Injury Impacts OKC Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder are attempting to buck the current trend of parity around the NBA. The past six champions have failed to even make it out of the second round with the most recent repeat winner coming in 2018 as the Golden State Warriors hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the second straight season.

Oklahoma City is healthier now than they have ever been this season, gearing up for a pivotal playoff push. The Thunder are the odds on favorite to repeat as champions but the road ahead is anything but certain. Heading into the last day of the year, the OKC Thunder might see the Denver Nuggets –– the team's second toughest challenge in the Western Conference –– slip to the No. 4 seed and set up a second round rematch against the Mile High Club.

The Thunder are on track to have a sustained run of success with this core, Oklahoma City locked up superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-NBA swingman Jalen Williams and All-Star Chet Holmgren last season. A lot of their role players are already on team friendly pacts. Though, Sam Presti has another resource.

OKC is still sitting atop a mountain of NBA Draft assets. Including in this loaded 2026 NBA Draft class, with two first round picks at his disposal one via the Philadelphia 76ers and another via the L.A. Clippers. Both are set to be in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference Play-In tournament respectively.

This week, the City of Brotherly Love Ballers received some unfortunate news. Superstar and former MVP big man Joel Embiid has been ruled out with appendicitis, with his surgery already complete.

Embiid is sadly no stranger to bad luck on the injury front. With this surgery knocking him out of the NBA Play-in week for the 76ers it feels likely Philadelphia will not make the NBA Playoffs due to their star being sidelined.

A loss this week, not advancing to the final eight team playoff bracket, will put the 76ers pick into the NBA Draft Lottery. This gives the Oklahoma City Thunder an improved selection from Philadelphia who currently would give the Bricktown Ballers the No. 16 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

What would make this move so interesting would be the fact that the 76ers have a top 4 protection on their 2026 first round pick, so Philadelphia would have an outside chance of retaining their draft pick if they were able to leap in the lottery. The most likely outcome is the Thunder recieve a draft pick a few spots higher once this week's NBA Play In plays out.

76ers star Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with appendicitis and will undergo surgery this afternoon in Houston.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 9, 2026