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Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during a game against the Boston Celtics in March 2026

As the regular season winds down, the Oklahoma City Thunder are hitting form at the right time.

With the San Antonio Spurs mounting a late push for the top seed in the Western Conference behind an 11-game winning streak, Oklahoma City has responded by winning 16 of its last 17 games.

Currently riding a four-game streak with a 61-16 record, the Thunder sit two games ahead of the Spurs with just five regular-season games remaining.

While the focus remains firmly on securing the top seed and maintaining championship momentum, attention is also beginning to shift towards another potentially important offseason.

Oklahoma City Thunder Positioned to Maximize Draft Capital Amid Title Window

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, along with several key contributors, already accounts for a significant portion of the Thunder’s long-term salary structure.

That financial picture will tighten further when Chet Holmgren’s five-year, $239 million extension begins in 2026-27, starting at an estimated $41.2 million annually.

As a result, the NBA Draft remains a critical tool for sustaining success.

For a team intent on contending year after year, the draft continues to offer a pathway to add affordable, high-upside talent without compromising flexibility.

The Thunder could hold as many as three first-round picks in the 2026 draft, depending on protections tied to selections from the Philadelphia 76ers (top-4 protected), Utah Jazz (top-8 protected), and the more favorable pick between Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles Clippers.

This gives general manager Sam Presti the flexibility to either consolidate assets or add multiple contributors in the middle of the first-round.

In his latest mock draft, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman projects the Thunder to select Kentucky forward Jayden Quaintance with the Clippers’ 15th overall pick.

“Jayden Quaintance lasted four games for Kentucky after trying to return 10 months after last year’s torn ACL,” Wasserman wrote. “The long-term ceiling that looked so appealing at Arizona State hasn’t changed.”

“At full strength, Quaintance looks like an outstanding defensive prospect due to his frame, length and shot-blocking rate. He was always behind offensively, but he’s delivered enough flashes of low-post touch, driving ability and shotmaking for scouts to picture some long-term scoring potential to unlock.”

In limited action this season, the sophomore forward averaged 5.0 points and 5.0 rebounds across four games while shooting 57.1% from the field.

Jayden Quaintance Presents High-Upside Draft Option Despite Injury Concerns

In his season debut against St John’s, Quaintance impressed with 10 points and eight rebounds in 17 minutes, shooting 5-of-7 from the field and adding two blocks.

The former five-star recruit began his college career at Arizona State after initially committing to Kentucky.

During his freshman season, he appeared in 24 games, averaging 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.6 blocks while shooting 52.5% from the field.

His season was cut short by a torn ACL, leading to surgery and a subsequent transfer to Kentucky, where he had originally committed out of high school.

The 6-foot-10 forward was not eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft due to age restrictions but is now drawing lottery consideration based on his defensive upside, despite ongoing injury concerns.

“Quaintance has become one of the more enigmatic prospects in the class,” ESPN’s Jeremy Woo previously wrote. “Whether he returns or not, the success of his predraft process will rely heavily on medicals and team workouts.”

“His long-term upside in a draft that lacks top-end center talent should keep him in lottery consideration, with a viable long-term future as a rim-running, shot-blocking five. But his draft range, for the moment, is wide.”

For a Thunder team balancing immediate title ambitions with long-term sustainability, a prospect like Quaintance offers more than depth.

He represents a potential long-term contributor who can develop behind an already strong core while fitting into the franchise’s broader vision.

With multiple draft picks and a stable roster in place, Oklahoma City can afford patience, allowing Quaintance time to fully recover and gradually integrate into the system, potentially through early G League reps.

Given the Oklahoma City Thunder’s draft flexibility, selecting a high-upside prospect like Quaintance presents a relatively low-risk move with significant long-term reward.