October 31, 2023. James Harden already asked to be traded from Sixers in summer. Sixers were forced to trade him as Harden didnt participate in media day and refused to travel for team’s season opener.

Harden specifically targeted and requested trade to Clippers. Clippers wanted him too.

To make the deal happen Sixers and Clippers needed middleman as Clippers only had 2029 and 2027 swap rights to trade but Sixers wanted guaranteed pick than a swap rights.

OKC came in as middleman since they already had Clippers’ picks from Paul George trade. OKC agreed to give up worst of three 2026 picks (Clippers, OKC and Rockets) they controlled which later turned out to be their own (30th pick) for swap rights to Clippers’ 2027 pick.

OKC currently have three picks in 2027 draft.

Their own : 6-2 record

Nuggets (Top-5 protected) : 4-3 record

Spurs (Top-16 protected) : 6-2 record

Clippers (Unprotected swap rights. OKC can swap worse of their own or Nuggets pick for Clippers pick) : 1-7 record

Sam Presti is a demon

AnonimousMn471

91 | 7 hours ago

Dammit they’ll get the Number 1 overall pick and be back on schedule even after an apocalypse that shakes most franchises to their core befell them

Beginning_Bank_5907

28 | 7 hours ago

For the new lottery rules, to get the number 1 pick, don’t you have the best odds if you’re mid though (not bad)?

hurtsbayar9 [OP]

33 | 7 hours ago

Clippers will probably have better record than Kings, Bucks, Bulls and Nets

Some-Stranger-7852

18 | 7 hours ago

Depends on if they actually decide to compete: those teams you mentioned have something to play for (to not be bottom-3), Clippers may not have anything to play for by January since they don’t own their own pick.

At that point screwing OKC up may be high on their agenda.

FKJVMMP

10 | 6 hours ago

The Bucks and Nets don’t control their picks either, they have the same incentive the Clippers do.

moonshadow50

4 | 7 hours ago

I doubt it.

Don’t 3 of those teams hold their own picks? They will be trying desperately hard to stay out of the bottom 3.

But once it gets to Feb-March and LAC and Milwaukee realise they have absolutely nothing to play for, and in fact that “being bad” could actually save them a little face in the value of draft pick they give away, then they will happily fall into the bottom 3.

Feelscreative101

1 | 5 hours ago

Agreed and just to add onto this, you can’t get back to back top 4 picks now. So some teams like Milwaukee are incentivised to have a lower chance at a top pick, if it means that they have a higher chance at landing 1 overall in the next year.

tronovich

1 | 5 hours ago

Those teams will want to compete.

Clippers have no incentive to do so.

CazOnReddit

38 | 7 hours ago

It’s a good thing people are saying this draft is worse than 2024

ASAPGrayson

20 | 7 hours ago

This draft is deep in 6’7-6’8 2-way wings, which has been the missing piece off the bench for many years now.

I wouldn’t be too relieved.

tronovich

1 | 5 hours ago

At the same time, that’s three roster spots for rooks that will eventually need playing time. Who’s the odd guys out in that sense.

With everyone healthy, you already are 11-deep in the rotation.

ASAPGrayson

1 | 5 hours ago

There’s no guarantee the other 2 picks will stay 2027’s, but it entirely depends on what the front office decides to do with Hart and J-Dub.

lordalbusdumbledore

5 | 7 hours ago

why do the drafts seem to alternate like this

CazOnReddit

8 | 7 hours ago

Blame the NIL. We might need to revamp rookie scale contracts because of just how much guys can make in college sports these days.

IllegitimateRisk

24 | 7 hours ago

Nah let it ride. A bust draft makes for meme material.

Fidel_Cashflows

16 | 7 hours ago

Sorry NBA, the race for Bryce James is already officially over.

BBallHunter

1 | 6 hours ago

How did we get the Spurs one?

hurtsbayar9 [OP]

5 | 6 hours ago

Spurs gave their pick to Kings for Fox. Then Kings put a protection on that pick and shipped it to OKC on draft night 2025 for No.24 pick. Iirc Kings got Nique Clifford with that pick.

OKC had that no.24 pick from infamous PG trade 🤣🤣

penguin_torpedo

1 | 6 hours ago

Why the hell does OKC have our pick. There’s no way Jeremi Grant is still haunting us, right?

hurtsbayar9 [OP]

3 | 6 hours ago

Dumping JaMychal Green’s salary mostly. He opted into his player option putting Nuggets into 20m+ into luxury tax. Well also got 30th pick that turned into Watson.

NoExplanation6203

2 | 6 hours ago

Wait they can swap the Denver pick, I thought it was just their own pick they could swap with the clippers? Who the hell agreed to this shit

sanjit8103

1 | 7 hours ago

i hope we get a top 5 pick somehow (never happening)

UpvoteIfYouAgreee

1 | 6 hours ago

clippers picks looking pretty valuable

Schostag-Ananthu

1 | 5 hours ago

Post says it’s the worse of their own or the Nuggets pick they swap for the Clippers one.

EGarrett28

-1 | 6 hours ago

Clippers are picks are like having gold in the vault.

OKC holds rights to swap its 2027 1st round pick for Clippers’ pick. They acquired it from James Harden’s trade