Thunder Knocked It out of the Park With NBA Draft Picks

The NBA draft has come and gone, and it feels good when a team can look back at what they did and feel good about it.

That’s the case with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Let’s face it. They weren’t happy when they lost to the Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. They could have made it back to the NBA Finals for a second straight year. They could have defended their title.

The Thunder probably would have done better against the Knicks, too. New York was obviously much better than San Antonio, but Oklahoma City could have given them a hard time.

These are all reasons why the Thunder were super determined to have a good draft. And they did. Ben Golliver of ESPN gives the team an A grade for what they did in the 2026 NBA draft.

The Thunder selected Aday Mara, Bennett Stirtz and Otega Oweh.

“The 7-3 Mara is a delight to watch thanks to his nifty passing and finishing around the hoop, and Stirtz will bring knockdown 3-point shooting to help balance a defense-heavy backcourt corps,” he states. “Oklahoma City appears poised to have the NBA’s deepest collection of talent again in 2026-27, even if it must make some painful cost-cutting moves over the next few weeks.”

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My Take: The Thunder Are Primed for a Return to the NBA Finals

The Thunder were already favorites to get back to the Finals in 2027. And it’s for good reason, because they almost made it last season, and it almost seems as if it was fate that they were supposed to get there.

Now, the Thunder have three solid rookies in the fold. Mara was one of the most buzzed-about players in the draft. He just won an NCAA title. He’s a perfect fit.

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In general, the Thunder knocked it out of the park with these selections. That’ll pay off next season.

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This story was originally published June 26, 2026 at 8:53 PM.