This is a great spot for Oklahoma City.
The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery took place in Chicago on Sunday afternoon and the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers were the teams that came out on top.
It could be argued, though, that there were really 29 big winners: every single NBA fanbase outside of the Oklahoma City Thunder. There was some real concern heading into the Draft Lottery that the defending champs who are one win away from the Western Conference Finals would jump into the top four and have a chance at AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, Darryn Peterson or Caleb Wilson.
Ultimately, the ping pong balls saved NBA Twitter from a full blown melt down, as the Thunder stayed put at #12. OKC fans should take solace in the fact that while their favorite team didn't make the jump into the top four, Sam Presti has an impressive track record picking in that slot.
Here's a breakdown of the Thunder's history drafting at the #12 spot.
Nick Collison (2003). Okay, this one is a bit of a cheat because it happened five years before Oklahoma City even had a basketball team. That said, Collison ended up becoming known as "Mr. Thunder". If a player ends up with the team name as a nickname, your draft position qualifies for this article. Them's the rules.
Steven Adams (2013). OKC received this pick from the infamous James Harden trade. The 7 foot New Zealander became one of the most beloved players in franchise history. His mix of gentle giant charisma and wit along with his strong play as a defending, rebounding machine on the court endeared him to Thunder fans instantly and infinitely.
Jalen Willliams (2022). Just like this season's pick, this one came courtesy of the Los Angeles Clippers and the Paul George for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a million picks trade. Now OKC fans hope for the same result. Is it too much to ask for another All-NBA, All-Star, All-Defensive selection and second best player on a championship team from another #12 overall draftee?
Cason Wallace (2023). Sam Presti traded up from #12 to #10 using only OKC's salary cap space to absorb Dāvis Bertāns and his contract. So while Wallace was not technically picked at #12, that was the Thunder's original position and had to give up no pick nor player to move up. Wallace has the highest win percentage in league history and is on the verge of his first All-Defense team selection.
Nikola Topic (2024). The projected top 3-5 prospect only fell down to #12 due to an ACL injury that teams knew would keep him out his entire first season. OKC did not care. The chance to draft someone of Topic's pedigree at this spot was to good to pass up. While he's dealt with some unfortunate physical setbacks, the Serbian point guard has already shown flashes of what made his such a highly esteemed talent.