The 14-4 Oklahoma City Thunder are having fun with a wonderful begin to the season. It will look even higher if the Philadelphia 76ers preserve stinking it up.
Because of a commerce from 2020, the Thunder will get Philadelphia’s first-round choose subsequent yr, offered it is worse than the No. 6 choose.
The Thunder get the Sixers’ first-rounder subsequent yr due to a commerce the place they despatched Danny Inexperienced to Philadelphia and took on Al Horford’s undesirable contract. For his or her bother, they bought that yr’s No. 34 choose, Theo Maledon (now enjoying in France) and a 2025 choose, protected for picks 1-6.
The Sixers would have the NBA’s second-best lottery odds if the season ended right this moment, however they need to enhance if and when Joel Embiid and Paul George return from accidents. So whereas it is nonetheless unlikely they’d find yourself with top-six choose, it is beginning to get more and more troublesome for the 76ers to get again within the playoff image. They’d must win 60 p.c of their remaining video games merely to complete with a successful report.
The dream state of affairs for the Thunder could be the 76ers lacking the playoffs, however not being so dangerous that they’d get a excessive choose. It is a part of a formidable warfare chest for the Thunder subsequent June, the place they’ve the suitable to swap first-round picks with the Los Angeles Clippers or Houston Rockets, and have the rights to picks from the Miami Warmth (lottery-protected) and Utah Jazz (protected 1-10).
The Clippers choose swap and the Warmth choose come from buying and selling George, whose present knee points could also be giving his previous staff much more draft capital than the 5 picks and two swaps they already obtained for George, together with All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
4 first-round picks is perhaps too many younger gamers, even for the Thunder, nevertheless it does give them spectacular ammunition in the event that they wish to make an improve. Final yr’s deadline acquisition was Gordon Hayward, which did not assist a lot. They will goal rather a lot larger this season, and so they may need to if Chet Holmgren struggles to get better from his fractured pelvis.
One factor that is sure is that Thunder followers and GM Sam Presti will preserve hoping the 76ers stay dangerous. Simply not too dangerous.
