![]() They may not have made the playoffs in the post-AD era yet, but they've been closer to the middle of the pack than real tankers traditionally are. Given their own treasure trove of picks, there's some temptation to put the New Orleans Pelicans here too, but they pretty much lucked out of a tank when they landed Zion Williamson in the immediate aftermath of Anthony Davis' departure. ![]() Now, they have an intriguing young core with Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun and Kevin Porter Jr., to name a few, to develop as they wait for seven future first-round picks (or swaps) to potentially convey. They went with the package of future assets from the Brooklyn Nets instead. Back in January, it looked like they might be able to land a veteran (though still relatively young) multi-time All-Star in Ben Simmons for James Harden. ![]() That last sentiment applies to the Houston Rockets too. If Pokusevski, Josh Giddey or some future pick turns into a star, it could all be worth it. Losses now improve the draft odds on those picks, so there's plenty of incentive to get developmental minutes for the young guys. And they have just one first and one second heading out. Through 2027, they have plenty more second-rounders. Between now and 2026, the Thunder have 14 first-round picks (or pick swaps) heading their way (in addition to their own picks). It was hard to blame them, as trades involving Paul George, Russell Westbrook and others have helped OKC accumulate a war chest of future picks. The Oklahoma City Thunder leaned hard into a Process-like tank in 2020-21, shutting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander down after 35 games and playing teenager Aleksej Pokusevski 28.4 minutes per game over the last three months of the season. ![]()
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