The Thunder’s Draft Pick Accumulation
Over the past few years, the Oklahoma City Thunder have amassed an incredible number of future draft picks through trades.
After acquiring two additional second round picks for taking on Kevin Porter Jr.’s contract, the Thunder now have up to 15 first round picks and 22 second round picks over the next seven drafts.
This includes their own future picks along with picks owed by teams like the Rockets, Clippers, Heat, 76ers, Jazz, Warriors, Mavericks, Bucks and more.
Many of these picks do have certain protections on them, meaning they could convey as later picks or may not convey at all if the protections are not met.
Still, even accounting for pick protections, the range is 9-15 first round picks and 21-27 second round picks through 2030.
This represents the largest stockpile of draft capital ever assembled by an NBA franchise.
The Benefits of Accumulating Picks
There are several benefits behind the Thunder‘s strategy of massing draft picks:
- It provides assets to make future trades – Whether packaging picks to move up in a draft or using them to acquire an impact veteran, picks give Presti flexibility to reshape the roster on the fly.
- Increased odds of drafting hidden gems – More swings at the plate mean more chances to uncover overlooked prospects who blossom into stars.
- Sustained team control of rookie deals – Cost-controlled players on rookie contracts supplement the cap flexibility provided by the picks themselves.
- Facilitates a rebuild without tanking – Competing while acquiring future assets helps build a winning culture.
Risks of Too Many Picks
However, there are some potential drawbacks of having too many draft picks:
- Difficult to integrate many young players at once – Too much youth and inexperience could inhibit team chemistry and development.
- Gap between rookies and veterans – A bifurcated roster split between older vets and raw rookies may lack proper mentoring.
- Less incentive to develop players – With a seemingly endless pipeline of picks, individual prospects could get lost in the shuffle.
- Picks lose value from lack of roster spots – At a certain point, it becomes impractical to add more rookies to an already crowded roster.
Balancing Present and Future with Picks
The key for Sam Presti will be finding the right balance between utilizing picks for immediate help through trades while still enabling enough opportunity for player development and striking gold in the draft.
As constructed, the Thunder have one of the deepest young cores in the league, headlined by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Chet Holmgren and others.
However, SGA does need more proven scoring help to truly contend in the West.
Presti could put some picks in play to trade for an established #2 option to pair with SGA. But he must be careful not to siphon off too many future assets or squander the flexibility provided by his treasure trove of picks.
Using Picks to Trade Up in a Draft
One scenario where Presti could deploy some picks would be trading up in an upcoming draft if a prospect emerges as a potential franchise cornerstone.
For example, if Colorado’s Cody Williams looks like a great backcourt fit alongside his brother Jalen leading up to the 2024 draft, packaging multiple picks to move up for Cody could make sense.
But even then, Presti would surely avoid severely overpaying. The opportunity cost of using too many assets must be weighed against the chance to add a potentially special talent.
Consolidating Picks in a Blockbuster Trade
On the other hand, if Giannis demands a trade from Milwaukee or Chicago decides to blow it up and ship Zach LaVine this offseason, Presti could put his draft capital war chest to work in a landscape-shifting blockbuster.
A handful of firsts and pick swaps would certainly grab the attention of rebuilding franchises. And adding a dynamic co-star alongside SGA would give OKC a powerhouse 1-2 punch to climb the Western Conference hierarchy.
Again, Presti would need to avoid tunnel vision. Any trade would have to make sense both short and long-term. But with the right move, he could set the Thunder up to contend now while still having assets left over.
The Sam Presti Balancing Act
At the end of the day, Sam Presti has constructed an enviable and near unprecedented blend of exciting young talent mixed with outrageous flexibility thanks to his stash of draft picks.
His challenge will be balancing the development of the current rising core while supplementing it both through the draft and trades to build a sustainably great Thunder team.
If Presti can strike that balance, and make the right pick and trade decisions along the way, the future looks incredibly bright for many years to come in Oklahoma City.
Sources:
www.forbes.com/sites/tylersmall/2023/10/19/at-what-point-does-a-team-have-too-many-draft-picks/
www.cbssports.com/nba/news/how-many-future-draft-picks-do-the-thunder-actually-have-its-complicated/
eu.oklahoman.com/story/sports/nba/thunder/2024/01/30/okc-thunder-future-draft-picks-sam-presti-mock-draft-cody-williams/72389943007/
