Teams around the NBA are panicking about what could come next for OKC Thunder

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The Oklahoma City Thunder have been on an absolute tear to begin the 2025-26 NBA season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Portland Trail Blazers to improve to 20-1 on the season.

Riding a 12-game winning streak, the Thunder have become just the fourth team in NBA history to win at least 20 of their first 21 games.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander now owns the second-longest streak of 20-point games ever (93), trailing only Wilt Chamberlain’s 126-game run more than 60 years ago.

Jalen Williams recently returned to the lineup as the Thunder have the NBA’s top defense by a wide margin.

The Oklahoma City Thunder could get a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft

The craziest part of the Thunder’s success is that they could be in line for a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Yes, even if the Thunder were to finish 73-9 or better and go on to win the NBA Championship, they could get rewarded with a top pick in a generational draft.

This is because the Thunder own the Los Angeles Clippers‘ 2026 first-round pick, dating back to the Paul George trade.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said there is panic around the league about the Thunder owning the Clippers pick.

The Clippers are currently 5-15 and if the season ended today, the Thunder would be projected to get pick No. 5 via the Clippers.

The Oklahoma City Thunder could have three lottery picks in the 2026 NBA Draft

The Thunder could have up to three lottery picks in the 2026 NBA Draft (yes you read that right).

Not only do the Thunder own the Clippers’ 2026 first-round pick, they own the Utah Jazz’s 2026 first-round pick (top-8 protected) and the Philadelphia 76ers’ 2026 first-round pick.

This means if the season ended today the Thunder would be projected to get the No. 6, No. 9 and No. 14 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Not only are the Thunder on the verge of becoming an NBA dynasty, but they look poised to remain on top for a very long time.