OKC Thunder Get Clearer Picture of 2026 NBA Draft After Tiebreaker Results

Oklahoma City is in the middle of their pursuit of back-to-back NBA Championships. After rattling off 64 wins in the regular season, the Thunder took home the league's best record for the second straight year and for the third straight season, OKC sits atop the Western Conference table.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are attempting to be the first team to repeat as NBA Champions since the 2018 Golden State Warriors. The league has been riddled with parity since that historic Warriors run. The past six champions all have failed to make it out of the second round of the NBA Playoffs.

As Oklahoma City dispatched the Suns in dominating fashion on Sunday, 119-84, they started their postseason run on the right foot. The Thunder also earned an easy path to the Western Conference Finals. While Phoenix doesn't post much of a threat –– as is the case for most No. 8 seeds in NBA history –– their second round matchup of either a hobbled Los Angeles Lakers squad or an underwhelming Houston Rockets club.

The Thunder's focus is on contending for a championship this season, the definition of win now, however thanks to their trades earlier in their rebuild process Oklahoma City has plenty of options. Including the loaded 2026 NBA Draft.

Oklahoma City controls a pair of first round selections in this draft class, the team owns the Philadelphia 76ers opening round pick as well as the L.A. Clippers selection.

On Monday afternoon, the NBA held their annual tie breaking drawing for the NBA Draft. The results held a massive impact on Oklahoma City.

Starting at the top, the Utah Jazz have a top eight protected first round pick that if it fell to the No. 9 slot on NBA Draft Lottery night, the Jazz would send that selection to Bricktown. By getting the luck of this inital drawing, the Jazz can not fall lower than the No. 8 selection meaning the pick has no chance to head to Oklahoma City.

The other note for the Thunder was that 76ers pick after the City of Brotherly Love Ballers made the NBA Playoffs they were tied with the Phoenix Suns and Orlando Magic. The 76ers selection will now slot in at pick No. 17 going to the Bricktown Ballers.

Now, all that is left to find out is if Oklahoma City will see that No. 12 pick from the L.A. Clippers leap up in the top four on NBA Draft lottery day. That only has a 7.1% chance of happening but each year since the NBA reformed the lottery odds, a team has leaped up into that top four.

The Thunder are currently slotted to own the No. 12 (via Clippers) and No. 17 (via 76ers) selection in the 2026 NBA Draft after what is projected to be a long playoff run that might even result in a second championship.

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