Where Will OKC Thunder Select In 2022 NBA Draft?

The Oklahoma City Thunder finished their 2021-22 campaign with a record of 24-58. Amidst a rebuild, this marks the third-fewest wins since the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City. This includes the worst winning percentage (.293) since the first season in OKC back in the 2008-09 season.

With that in mind, it was a season filled with injuries as over half of the opening night 15-man roster had its season cut short with season-ending injuries.

The Thunder’s 24-58 record finishes as the fourth-worst record in the NBA, meaning they’ll have the fourth-highest lottery odds.

1. Houston Rockets (20-62)
2. Orlando Magic (22-60)
3. Detroit Pistons (23-59)
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (24-58)
5. Indiana Pacers (25-57)

Owning the fourth-highest lottery odds means the lowest Oklahoma City’s pick can fall is eighth overall. Even then, there’s only a 2.2% chance of that happening. That means the Thunder have a 97.8% chance of landing a pick in the top seven.

Interestingly enough, OKC actually has a better chance of landing the first (12.5%), second (12.2%) or third (11.9%) pick independently than the fourth (11.5%) or fifth (7.2%) pick. Based on their odds, the Thunder have the best chance of landing the sixth overall pick (25.7%) for the second-straight season.

From there, Oklahoma City also has a 16.7% chance of landing the seventh overall section.

Looking more broadly, the Thunder have a 55.4% chance at a top five pick and a 44.6% chance of landing a pick between six and eight.

On May 17, teams with selections in the lottery will officially find out where their picks will be in the 2022 NBA Draft. This will be a huge day for the future of the franchise in OKC, as this will determine the range of prospects the front office will be evaluating in the pre-draft process.

While the Thunder have a ton of future draft capital to attempt to move up on draft night, teams weren’t willing to move back in the 2021 NBA Draft. The top of the class isn’t as solidified at this point, but if history repeats itself that may not be an option this summer either.

Outside of its own pick, Oklahoma City also owns first-round selections via the LA Clippers and Phoenix Suns. The Suns’ pick is already locked in at No. 30 overall, while the Clippers’ selection is still unclear. The outcome of the play-in tournament will determine whether the Clippers convey their pick just inside the lottery or just outside of it.

In just over a month, every team around the NBA will know where they’ll be drafting. Until then, the lottery is yet to be determined. What we do know is that the Thunder officially have the fourth-best lottery odds.