The Oklahoma City Thunder were already in a strong position when it came to the 2026 NBA Draft, thanks to the James Harden-Darius Garland swap earlier this week. But after a flurry of last-minute trade deadline moves, that position just got even stronger - and Thunder fans have every reason to be watching the Clippers’ future with a big grin.
The headline-grabbing move came out of Los Angeles, where the Clippers sent Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks, and a second-rounder. It’s a surprising shift, especially considering Zubac’s role as a key contributor on both ends of the floor. But for Oklahoma City, the real win lies in the ripple effect.
Here’s why: the Thunder own the Clippers’ unprotected 2026 first-round pick, a gem they acquired in the blockbuster Paul George-for-Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deal back in 2019. That pick just got a whole lot more interesting.
Before the trade deadline, it looked like the Clippers were trending upward. They’d gone 17-6 over their last 23 games, climbing the Western Conference standings and pushing themselves into the playoff conversation.
That kind of momentum was threatening to push their 2026 pick out of the lottery - not ideal for OKC. But by offloading two of their most impactful players in Harden and Zubac, the Clippers may have just hit the brakes on that momentum.
Let’s rewind for a second. Earlier this season, the Clippers were in rough shape - a 12-21 record through 33 games had them sitting in the 11th seed in the West.
It was looking like a lost season. Then came the midseason surge, powered in large part by Harden’s playmaking and Zubac’s presence in the paint.
Now, both are gone. In their place?
Garland, who’s battling injuries, and a mix of role players and future picks. That’s not exactly a win-now package.
It’s hard to interpret these moves as anything other than a pivot toward the future by the Clippers’ front office. And with Kawhi Leonard’s availability always a question mark, this new-look roster could be in for a rocky second half of the season.
All of that adds up to one thing for the Thunder: their odds of landing a premium pick just shot up. If the Clippers slide back into the bottom tier of the standings - or even just outside the playoff picture - that unprotected 2026 first-rounder becomes gold. For a team like Oklahoma City, already loaded with young talent and championship aspirations, adding another lottery pick to the mix could be a game-changer.
So while most of the league is focused on how the Pacers and Clippers will look post-deadline, the Thunder are quietly sitting in the catbird seat. The moves made this week didn’t just shake up rosters - they may have just handed OKC another major building block for the future.