Thunder 2026 NBA Mock Draft roundup after losing in WCF

The Oklahoma City Thunder were favorites to win the NBA title all the way until the San Antonio Spurs eliminated them in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. The defeat proved that Oklahoma City isn’t as unbeatable as everybody thought. The good news for the team is that they are still well prepared for the future, though.

The Thunder have tons of young players, reasonable contracts, stars locked up for the foreseeable future, and draft picks. In fact, they have two first-round picks coming their way before the month of June even ends. The Thunder possess picks 12 and 17 from the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers in the 2026 NBA Draft. Sam Presti has excelled at adding draft capital and moving it when need be.

A trade involving these picks will almost surely come to fruition on or before draft night. The Thunder already have up 15 players signed to next season, although the team may cut costs via a trade or by declining team options on players such as Lu Dort or Isaiah Hartenstein. Regardless, it seems unlikely that the Thunder will walk away from draft night with two new first-round rookies, but what do the experts think Oklahoma City will do? Here are mock draft results for the Thunder from some of the top draft experts.

Thunder 2026 NBA Mock Draft results

ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel

Pick 12: Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan, PF

Pick 17: Hannes Steinback, Washington, C

Pick 37: Sergio De Larrea, Spain, PG

ESPN’s Jeremy Woo

Pick 12: Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan, PF

Pick 17: Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan PF

Pick 37: Tarris Reed, UConn, C

Yahoo’s Kevin O’Connor

Pick 12: Aday Mara, Michigan, C

Pick 17: Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan, PF

Pick 37: Alex Karaban, UConn, SF

The Ringer

Pick 12: Aday Mara, Michigan, C

Pick 17: Hannes Steinbach, Washington, C

SI’s Derek Parker

Pick 12: Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan, PF

Pick 17: Dailyn Swain, Texas, SF

SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell

Pick 12: Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan, PF

Pick 17: Nate Ament, Tennessee, SF

Thunder mock draft analysis

There are plenty of common themes amongst analysts when it comes to the Thunder’s picks. For starters, nearly everyone is in agreement that Oklahoma City will try to move their capital, rather than stay put and select at 12 and 17. A trade up into the top four for Cameron Boozer has been rumored, although convincing the Memphis Grizzlies or Chicago Bulls to move down will be easier said than done. Presti could also trade his first-round picks for future draft capital. This deferral of picks has been done by the team before. It not only pushes the Thunder’s roster crunch issues to a future date, but it ensures the team continues to be built for the future while navigating this championship window.

If the team stays put, then experts expect them to draft win-now upperclassmen, prospects with winning experience, and frontcourt players. ClutchPoints and ESPN had the team selecting Yaxel Lendeborg. The Michigan product played six years in college and won a championship in his final season as the Wolverines’ do-it-all chess piece.

The Michigan-to-Oklahoma City pipeline didn’t stop there. ESPN, SB Nation, SI, and Yahoo all had Morez Johnson Jr. mocked to Oklahoma City. Johnson is a high-motor big man who plays hard defense, hits the glass hard, and can operate as a play finisher. Michigan’s center, Aday Mara, was also mocked to the team by The Ringer and Yahoo. The 7-foot-3 Spaniard is an incredible shot blocker and has displayed some potential with his touch.

Hannes Steinbach was another popular choice as a Thunder draft target. The Washington big led the Big Ten in rebounds per game (11.8), but also has some serious offensive potential. While his Washington Huskies didn’t have as much team success as Michigan, he flashed 3-point shooting and advanced passing ability during his freshman season. Any of Steinbach, Johnson, or Mara could be viewed as a potential replacement for Hartenstein, who has a team option for $28.5 million next season. The Thunder’s cap situation will almost certainly lead to the team declining that hefty payday, and it is unclear if the starting center will be willing to accept a pay cut to return to the team or not. It is worth noting that the team also drafted Thomas Sorber in the first round last year, although the young center missed his entire rookie season with a torn ACL.

Other standout mock draft choices for the Thunder were Tarris Reed, Alex Karaban, and Nate Ament. Reed and Karaban were on the UConn team that finished just shy of becoming national champions. Karaban had already won two titles with the team, and Reed played for Michigan before transferring to UConn, so he helped instill a winning culture for both teams. Ament is a lenky forward with loads of potential, so landing him at 17 would be a steal. He doesn’t fit the script of an older, win-now prospect, but his potential would be too great not to take a chance on at that point.

The Thunder have plenty of guards, so it seems unlikely that they are going to invest in the backcourt. In addition to center insurance, though, the team might look for more pure wings. They’ve oftentimes played guards at the small forward position, and if Lu Dort’s contract isn’t picked up, either, then the wing becomes even greater of a need. Regardless of what the Thunder do come draft day, the team has options, and they are well set up for the future.

The post Thunder 2026 NBA Mock Draft roundup after losing in WCF appeared first on ClutchPoints.