The OKC Thunder has a chance to break the NBA on draft lottery night on Sunday, May 10. The Thunder carries a slim but fearful chance of getting the No. 1 pick or a Top-4 selection, if the lottery goes their way.
Entering the lottery, the Thunder has a 1.5% chance of winning the lottery and getting the top pick in this year’s draft, potentially to pick BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, who has been projected as the best prospect in this draft.
Dybantsa would give the Thunder a massively valued asset, which they could use to further extend their championship window or package to trade for a superstar player to add to their current core.
The Thunder also has 7.1% chance of jumping to the top four spots. If it happens, the Thunder could pick one of the likes of Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson, Kingston Flemings, and Keaton Wagler, among others.
If they do not jump to the top picks, the Thunder would settle to the 12th pick in the draft.
Of course, the Thunder can still arrange a deal with other teams through their plethora of future draft picks and current assets to move up in a draft many believed to be one of the most stacked ones in recent years.
Picking any of the top prospects would push the Thunder to an even more dangerous squad, adding to a championship core led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams on top of a slew of quality players.
The Thunder’s odds came from the now-infamous Paul George trade to the LA Clippers in 2019, which has already yielded the team’s reigning MVP Gilgeous-Alexander and the draft rights of Jalen Williams, among other valuable assets. George has since left the Clippers.
The Clippers finished in the 10th spot in the Western Conference after losing in the play-in tournament against the Golden State Warriors, giving the Thunder a slim chance at a prize pick. Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.
The Thunder won 64 games in the regular season for the best record in the league.
Thunder Hopes History Repeats Itself in the Draft Lottery
GettyThe Thunder have their sights set on repeating as NBA champions
The Thunder is hoping to see history repeat on Sunday’s draft lottery.
Last year, the Dallas Mavericks won the lottery with just 1.8% chance of winning.
It was the first time a team with under 2% odds won the lottery since 2014, when the Cleveland Cavaliers picked Andrew Wiggins as their top pick before trading him to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Love, who helped them win the 2016 NBA championship.
This instance only happened four times NBA history. Before 2014, the Chicago Bulls won the lottery in 2008 with 1.7% oidds, drafting future MVP Derrick Rose.
It first came to fruition in 1993, when the Orlando Magic picked Chris Webber, who was traded to the Golden State Warriors for Penny Hardaway.
Thunder Still The Favorites To Win It All
GettyOKC Thunder can win it all this year.
However, there is no pressure for the Thunder to win the draft lottery as they remain one of the best teams in the league.
If they win Game 4 against the LA Lakers on Monday, they would return to the Western Conference Finals undefeated.
Winning the championship this year would also make them the first franchise to win back-to-back titles since 2018.
How The OKC Thunder Can Break The NBA By Drafting AJ Dybantsa