The Oklahoma City Thunder clinched their first-ever NBA championship on Sunday night.
Just two days later, the team took to the streets of downtown OKC to celebrate with thousands of fans, capping off the most successful season in franchise history. But with the championship parade barely behind them, the Thunder are already turning their focus to the future.
With the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft set to begin on Wednesday, reports suggest Oklahoma City is actively exploring ways to move up in the draft order.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony first reported that GM Sam Presti and the front office are eyeing a potential trade into the top 10.
Yahoo’s Tom Haberstroh echoed that report during a recent podcast, indicating OKC may be looking to add more top-tier talent or valuable assets.
“On OKC, I wouldn’t be surprised if they got, like, a top six pick in this draft,” Haberstroh said. “They’ve got (Nikola) Topic, they’ve got the 15, the 24 and the 44, and if you flaunt that to that is looking to add more depth, and they don’t love the top five or top six (prospects), (OKC) can move up from 15. They can move up even closer if they put Topic on the table. They can move into the top 10, theorhettically, without giving up a single player who played in the NBA Finals.”
Nikola Topić was selected 12th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, despite suffering a torn ACL prior to the event. Once considered a potential top-five pick, the Serbian guard spent his entire rookie season recovering, but he still holds promise as a valuable rotation player down the line.
Meanwhile, trade talks are reportedly brewing between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Sacramento Kings ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft.
According to a joint report by Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, several league sources believe Sacramento has been in discussions to acquire the No. 24 pick from Oklahoma City.
As of June 25 at 11 a.m., the Kings have no first-round picks and appear eager to move into the top 30. For the Thunder—who already hold three selections and are coming off a championship season with a young, intact roster—offloading a pick could make sense, as they may not have room to bring in multiple new prospects.
