OKC Thunder Miss out on Lottery Pick with 76ers’ Win

Philadelphia won its Play-In bout, ending OKC's chances of two lottery picks.

Apr 10, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The 76ers faced off against Orlando in the East Play-In on Wednesday night, tipping off more of the NBA’s fiery postseason action.

Philadelphia effectively led front to back, grabbing an early lead and pressing the gas pedal in the fourth to earn its way into the postseason. They eventually coasted to a 109-97 win, led by its best player in Tyrese Maxey, who poured on 31 points, six assists and one steal and block apiece.

While Oklahoma City doesn’t yet know its first-round opponent, Wednesday’s game did have future implications for the blue and orange, as they own the Sixers’ 2026 first-round pick.

The Thunder grabbed the Sixers’ pick in sending center Al Horford out in 2020. They initially grabbed the 2025 first-round pick, though Philadelphia jumped up and kept its selection at last year’s lottery, eventually grabbing wing VJ Edgecombe, who’s seen a solid rookie season.

With the Philadelphia win, the Thunder officially lost out on the chance at a lottery pick. The Sixers have now locked themselves into the seven-seed in the Eastern Conference, meaning their pick will be outside of the top-14. The 76ers will face Boston in the first round, with its pick landing at either No. 17 or 18 depending on how the rest of the Play-In shakes out.

It’s a small hit to the Thunder’s draft chances, though with the pick being top-four protected, it was really only the different in a few spots, rather than a chance at the top prospects.

The Thunder also own the Clippers’ unprotected first in 2026, with Wednesday’s late-game offering draft implications for OKC as well. With an LA loss, OKC could still recoup a lottery pick, all of which is house money with the team standing as the best in the league presently. 

Even more, the 2026 NBA Draft is widely thought of to be the best in some time, offering elite talent up top in the form of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer, all of which are No. 1-level talents, and could push others further down. 

The Thunder have largely built through the NBA Draft, and will need mid-first picks to continue back-filling its roster with cost controlled role players. The 2026 draft could yield players like Yaxel Lendeborg, Thomas Haugh, Bennett Stirtz, Dailyn Swain and more, all of which could fill roles over the next several years.

The Thunder's first-round opponent has been narrowed down to the Suns, Warriors or Clippers, with the Portland Trail Blazers punching their ticket to the postseason on Tuesday night.