OKC Thunder 'Control the Draft' for Next Seven Years ESPN Says

The Oklahoma City Thunder have amassed a ton of draft picks for the future. Sam Presti has done a fantastic job building the OKC Thunder roster. According to ESPN, they are in line to own the draft.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti speaks during an introductory press conference for the 2024 Thunder draft picks at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday, June, 29, 2024. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Oklahoma City Thunder have completed a rebuild that has seen them go from 20-something win seasons to being in line for three straight postseason trips including back-to-back no. 1 seeds in the Western Conference if its 27-5 record holds.

The Thunder have one of the best young cores in the NBA headlines by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams to go along with one of the deepest rosters. Oklahoma City has not even scratched the surface of its pile of draft picks acquired at the start of this rebuild when the Thunder had an everything-must-go sale.

ESPN's Bobby Marks put context to that sentiment with his latest article going through who "controls" the draft for the next seven years. Unsurprisingly, the Thunder ranked No. 1.

"Out of the group of five teams that control the 2025 draft's first round, no team is better positioned than OKC to win now and have sustainable success in the future. Because of the six first-round picks acquired from other teams and two years of swaps with the LA Clippers, the Thunder could select in the lottery and also finish each season with one of the best records in the NBA," Marks said.

The Thunder have 10 tradeable first-round picks, 16 second-round picks and do not owe anyones a selection moving forward - with 13 incoming first-round picks in total.

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