The Oklahoma City Thunder were actively working the phones on Tuesday, exploring trade possibilities to climb higher in the draft order. Holding the 15th and 24th overall picks in Wednesday’s draft, the Thunder appeared motivated to move up.
With an abundance of future draft assets at their disposal, the team has a history of packaging picks to pursue targeted prospects.
Brian Windhorst highlighted this aggressive approach during an appearance on First Take, saying, “Do you know that yesterday the Thunder were making calls to move up in the draft?”
He added, “On the parade day. They have two [first round] picks. Because they know someday in the foreseeable future they’re going to have a top-heavy team.”
The organization’s forward-thinking strategy anticipates a future where a few stars will command most of the salary cap, making cost-controlled young talent all the more valuable.
This is consistent with the team’s previous draft behavior. For example, last year, Oklahoma City selected Nikola Topić with the 12th overall pick, despite a recent ACL injury that had lowered his draft stock.
Before the injury, Topić was projected to be selected even higher, illustrating the Thunder’s willingness to play the long game in developing talent.
Thunder Making Calls To Trade Up From No. 15, No. 24 https://t.co/IAB80vadeH
— RealGM (@RealGM) June 25, 2025
