The OKC Thunder may have benefited from the blockbuster Kawhi Leonard trade that brought the two-time NBA champion from the LA Clippers to the Toronto Raptors.
The Thunder has the right to swap picks with the Clippers in the 2027 NBA Draft, an asset that has increased its value tenfold following the Leonard trade to the Raptors.
The Thunder hold the rights to a 2027 unprotected first-round pick swap with the Clippers. If the Clippers’ 2027 first-round pick lands higher in the draft order than the Thunder’s or Denver Nuggets‘ picks, Oklahoma City can choose to take the Clippers’ pick and give them the lower selection
This originated from the Clippers’ three-way deal with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Thunder to acquire James Harden.
The Thunder facilitated the deal and got the 2027 pick swap for their trouble.
Thunder’s 2027 Right For A Pick Swap Is More Valuable Now Than Before
GettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 08: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts during the first half of an NBA game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome on April 08, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images)
This comes at the best time, too, for OKC as the NBA changed its draft lottery rules.
The NBA’s new “3-2-1” draft lottery helps mid-tier teams, which are squads that play in the play-in tournament and just missed a spot in the postseason, by flattening lottery odds. These teams now get more lottery balls than the three worst teams in the league, giving them a high-variance chance at the top picks in the draft.
The Clippers lost in the first game of the play-in tournament against the Golden State Warriors, which became Leonard’s final game with LA.
In the Leonard deal, the Clippers got Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, one first-round pick swap, and two second-round picks, according to the initial report of ESPN’s Shams Charania, who broke the news.
The Clippers now boast a much younger roster for next season, led by Ingram, who turned out to be the go-to guy for the Raptors last year, and Darius Garland, who was traded for James Harden in February, on top of numerous promising rookies.
Thunder Creates Current Championship Core From Clippers’ Pursuit of Kawhi Leonard in 2019
GettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 08: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers vie for the ball during the first half of an NBA game at Intuit Dome on April 08, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images)
The OKC Thunder made the most of the LA Clippers’ pursuit of Kawhi Leonard in 2019.
Leonard left the Toronto Raptors in 2019 for the Clippers after they traded for Paul George from the OKC Thunder in exchange for Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and a plethora of draft picks and swaps in the ensuing seven years.
Among those draft picks are Jalen Williams, who became Gilgeous-Alexander’s co-star with OKC. Gilgeous-Alexander is now a two-time NBA MVP and a Finals MVP after leading the Thunder to the 2025 NBA championship.
The Thunder also got Tre Mann, Cason Wallace, Nikola Topic, Aday Mara, and Dillon Jones from the draft assets they received.
On the contrary, the Clippers failed to win an NBA championship throughout Leonard’s seven-year tenure in Los Angeles.
The Clippers have only been in the Western Conference Finals once in the last seven seasons.
Now, they are back to zero without a bona fide superstar on their roster after Kawhi’s departure. Meanwhile, the Thunder remains one of the best teams in the NBA.
OKC Thunder Possibly The Biggest Winner From Kawhi Leonard Trade