New NBA Draft Rumors on Thunder's 'Active' Trade Talks, Pursuit of Top 10 Pick

The Oklahoma City Thunder could react to their elimination loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals by moving up in the 2026 NBA draft, ESPN's Anthony Slater and Tim MacMahon reported Tuesday.

According to Slater and MacMahon, the Thunder "are expected to be active in trade discussions during the draft."

"League sources said they've had exploratory discussions with teams in the top 10 about what it could take to move up, the type of trade that is typically dependent on a specific target still being available when a pick goes on the clock," Slater and MacMahon reported.

The Thunder currently control the No. 12, No. 17 and No. 37 picks in the upcoming draft, which kicks off June 23 in Brooklyn.

NBA insider Jake Fischer reported last week that "rival clubs continue to mention a certain team in Oklahoma City as a strong potential trade-up candidate."

One Eastern Conference executive asked Fischer about the Thunder: "What's to stop them from packaging No. 12, 17 and [even] future picks to try to go get Boozer or Wilson?"

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman reported in his latest mock draft the Thunder would stay at No. 12 and take Michigan center Aday Mara with their first pick.

After projected a consensus top three of BYU's AJ Dybantsa, Kansas' Darryn Peterson and Duke's Cameron Boozer, Wasserman predicted UNC's Caleb Wilson would come off the board at No. 4.

Should the Thunder not get up into this top-four range, they could be one of the teams keeping an eye on the Los Angeles Clippers at No. 5. Fischer reported opponents are "working hard to gauge" the likeliness the Clippers will trade this pick.

Moving up to No. 5 could give the Thunder access to one of the players Wasserman has rounding out his projected top 10 in Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr., Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr., Houston's Kingston Flemings, Illinois' Keaton Wagler, Arizona's Brayden Burries or Tennessee's Nate Ament.

The Thunder might not be the only team making offers to move up into this range. ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel recently reported league personnel feel the Dallas Mavericks have "trade-up interest" in Acuff.

Including the upcoming draft, the Thunder have 10 incoming first-round picks (seven tradable) and 12 future second-rounders, per ESPN's Bobby Marks.

That impressive stock could give Thunder general manager Sam Presti enough flexibility to both make a draft-day trade and freeze a future pick by potentially going above the second apron to keep his 2025 championship roster mostly intact.