Unlock the thrilling second layer of Thunder wins. Discover which teams' victories and defeats directly boost OKC's future draft capital.
The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday afternoon in what could potentially be one of OKC fans' favorite kinds of wins this season: double wins.
If the Thunder knock off the 76ers, it is of course another win in the standings for Oklahoma City in what is all of a sudden a slimmer than expected margin at the top of the Western Conference. But the other win comes in knocking Philadelphia just a bit farther down the Eastern Conference standings and improving the 1st round pick owed to OKC.
In a season filled with various side quests in the form of 2026 draft picks, Thunder fans have several rooting interests. But with so many moving parts and protections and teams involved, it can all get a little muddled and confusing.
Don't worry, I've made it simple. Here's a list of the teams Thunder fans should cheer to win or jeer to lose in 2025-2026.
Oklahoma City Thunder wins. Pretty simple to work this one out. If you're a Thunder fan, you want your team to win. Can you believe we get paid to write this stuff?
Los Angeles Clippers losses. Easily the highest upside asset remaining in OKC's treasure chest of draft picks, the Clippers' 2026 1st round pick is unprotected. Currently, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden have the fifth worst record in the league. But Los Angeles is currently riding a three game win streak, including upsets over the Lakers and Rockets.
Utah Jazz wins. The Thunder own Utah's 2026 1st round pick but it's protected 1-8. And it would seem the Jazz will eventually pull out every trick in their tanking bag to ensure they finish with a bad enough record to keep their pick. Fortunately for Oklahoma City, nobody has seemed to let Lauri Markkanen nor Keyonte George in on that plan.
Philadelphia 76ers losses. While the pick OKC owns is protected 1-4, there is no worry Philadelphia will repeat the tank job they did last season. The 76ers are teetering on play-in territory at the moment. A pick in the late teens seems to be in the cards, but it's possible this could turn into a late lottery selection.
Houston Rockets losses. OKC owns the two most favorable 1st round picks between the Clippers, Rockets and the Thunder. Sure, this is going to be in the 20's. But Sam Presti would still prefer 22 or 23 over 27 or 28.
Cellar Dweller wins. This goes back to the Clippers pick. It has the highest ceiling. But to reach that ceiling, not only does Los Angeles have to lose, but the other squads at the bottom of the league standings need to win. Most specifically, it's in the best interest of the Thunder if some of the teams at the bottom of the West, such as the Grizzlies, Mavericks and Trail Blazers attempt to make the play-in and keep the Clippers out.