With Sam Presti back on the clock, Oklahoma City must decide whether to target a developmental wing, move up for a shooter, or stockpile future draft capital.
Oklahoma City selected Michigan’s Aday Mara and Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft. The second round begins tonight, and the Thunder still have the 37th overall pick. What will Sam Presti cook up? Here are his four options with the second-round pick.
Option 1: Stay Put
The simplest option is to stay put at 37th overall and select the best prospect available. Dillon Mitchell from St. John’s would be an intriguing selection given his defense, playmaking and rebounding at 6-foot-7. Another viable outcome is taking a sharpshooter like BYU’s Richie Saunders.
The Thunder will probably not have a roster spot available, but they could sign the 37th pick to a two-way contract and then convert him to a standard contract in the regular season should he show enough flashes. Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Ajay Mitchell followed this path.
Option 2: Trade Up
If Presti expects his target to be selected before 37th overall, then he could package the pick with a future second-round pick to trade up. Duke’s Isaiah Evans is a knockdown movement shooter who stands 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan. He’s a potential replacement for Isaiah Joe should the veteran become a salary cap casualty over the next few weeks. Cincinnati's Baba Miller might be worth the swing given his handle and playmaking at 6-foot-11, but it’s a massive roll of the dice. Perhaps Presti falls in love with Louisville's Ryan Conwell?
Either way, the Thunder would once again use a two-way contract to sign their prospect in this scenario.
Option 3: Trade Back
On the flip side, Oklahoma City could trade back from 37th overall to a later selection in order to pick up a future second-round pick. The Thunder lost a pair of second-rounders when they jumped from 17th to 16th overall, so this plan recoups one of the spent picks.
Presti could also move back for cash considerations instead of draft capital. Although the money would be a drop in the bucket compared to Oklahoma City’s projected luxury tax bill, every bit helps.
Option 4: Trade Away
Finally, the Thunder could trade the 37th overall pick entirely for future draft capital or cash considerations rather than moving back in the draft. It’s a realistic outcome if Presti already has a plan to fill the Thunder’s three two-way contract slots.
Of the four available options, the most likely outcomes are either staying put or trading away the pick entirely for future capital or cash considerations.
