Completing two straight series sweeps, the Oklahoma City Thunder enjoy another mini-vacation. They await to see who they face in the 2026 Western Conference Finals. While the team gets to relax a little, there’s no downtime for the front office. Especially since the 2026 NBA draft lottery was revealed.
Like most years, the Thunder had a vested interest in the draft lottery. That’s despite having the NBA’s best record with the best chance to win a second consecutive Larry O’Brien trophy. That’s what happens when you stock up draft capital from other teams at the start of the decade.
This year, the Thunder were gifted another lottery pick. They have three draft picks in the 2026 NBA draft — the No. 12 pick (via LA Clippers), the No. 17 pick (via Philadelphia 76ers) and the No. 37 pick (via Dallas Mavericks).
After the lottery, publications everywhere posted their post-lottery 2026 NBA mock drafts. Here’s who several had the Thunder adding to their championship-winning roster:
No. 12 (via Clippers): Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Jeremy Woo, ESPN, May 10 projection: Yaxel Lendaborg, Michigan (6-foot-9 forward, 240 pounds, 23 years old)
“Lendeborg is set to benefit from his instrumental role in Michigan’s title run, where his versatility shone through on both sides of the ball, and he shot 52.9% from 3 in his final 11 games. He’ll be a 24-year-old rookie, a polarizing aspect of his projection, but he’s ready for the NBA and should be a plug-and-play rotation piece.”
No. 12 (via Clippers): Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Sam Vecenie, The Athletic, May 11 projection: Yaxel Lendaborg, Michigan (6-foot-9 forward, 240 pounds, 23 years old)
“Lendeborg tracks for Oklahoma City as a long, physical player with two-way acumen, something the Thunder are always on the lookout for. Don’t be surprised to see Oklahoma City try to consolidate some pick capital and move up in this class, either.”
No. 12 (via Clippers): Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Kevin O’Connor, Yahoo Sports, May 12 projection: Yaxel Lendaborg, Michigan (6-foot-9 forward, 240 pounds, 23 years old)
“At 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan at 240 pounds, Lendeborg fits the bill. He fills the stat sheet, he can play multiple positions, and he has a genuine handle. Lendeborg will be 24 as a rookie, but he has a compelling story. Poor grades kept him off his high school varsity team. He went to a JUCO. Then UAB. Then he entered the draft, went through the combine, pulled his name back, and came back for one more year at Michigan and won a national championship. He just kept getting better every single time the competition got harder.”
No. 12 (via Clippers): Karim Lopez, New Zealand
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – JANUARY 30: Karim Lopez of the Breakers celebrates the win with the fans during the round 19 NBL match between New Zealand Breakers and Melbourne United at Spark Arena, on January 30, 2026, in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)
Brett Siegel, Clutch Points, May 11 projection: Karim Lopez, New Zealand (6-foot-9 forward, 222 pounds, 19 years old)
“Karim Lopez could go anywhere in the 10-20 region of this year’s draft, and it really depends on what team not only wants to gamble a little bit on an international guy but also spends time developing him more on offense outside of his natural offensive slashing and driving abilities. Aside from already having the ability to guard multiple positions, Lopez has shown flashes of his two-way brilliance in the NBL.”
No. 17 (via Sixers): Hannes Steinbach, Washington
Jeremy Woo, ESPN, May 10 projection: Hannes Steinbach, Washington (6-foot-11 forward, 248 pounds, 20 years old)
“Steinbach’s dependable production and excellent rebounding stand out in a draft that’s lighter on bigs, with many teams viewing him as a safe option. While not a flashy player, he’s advanced enough offensively to plug into a rotation next season. There are varying opinions on how his defense and shooting (34% from 3) project long-term, and scouts view him as caught between the 4 and 5 positionally due to his size.”
No. 17 (via Sixers): Morez Johnson, Michigan
Sam Vecenie, The Athletic, May 11 projection: Morez Johnson, Michigan (6-foot-10 forward, 251 pounds, 20 years old)
“He was one of the most efficient players in the country, averaging 13.1 points per game while shooting 62.3 percent from the field. He got to the foul line four times per game and made 78 percent of those. He’s a tough rebounder who is physical on the interior and crashes with his long arms. But I love Johnson the most on defense; he was the best all-around defender on one of the three best defenses in the nation, and that included Lendeborg and Mara. He’s tremendous as a post defender, flying around in help and showcasing switchability on the perimeter.”
No. 17 (via Sixers): Morez Johnson, Michigan
Kevin O’Connor, Yahoo Sports, May 12 projection: Morez Johnson, Michigan (6-foot-10 forward, 251 pounds, 20 years old)
“He transferred from Illinois to Michigan and became the connective tissue of the national champions as a 250-pound wrecking ball with surprisingly soft hands and the defensive IQ to guard 1 through 5 in a switch-heavy scheme. He’s not quite big enough to be a true center and not yet proven enough as a shooter to guarantee he spaces the floor. But even without a jumper, Johnson has a long future ahead of him.”
No. 17 (via Sixers): Aday Mara, Michigan
Brett Siegel, Clutch Points, May 11 projection: Aday Mara, Michigan (7-foot-4 center, 260 pounds, 21 years old)
“Mara stands 7’3″ with a reported 7’7 wingspan, and he moves really well for his size. Not to mention, he’s a high-IQ passer from the top of the arc and has shown glimpses of his potential to develop a consistent jumper.”
No. 37 (via Mavericks): Tarris Reed Jr., UConn
Jeremy Woo, ESPN, May 10 projection: Tarris Reed Jr., UConn (6-foot-11 center, 264 pounds, 22 years old)
No. 37 (via Mavericks): Maliq Brown, Duke
Sam Vecenie, The Athletic, May 11 projection: Maliq Brown, Duke (6-foot-9 forward, 217 pounds, 22 years old)
No. 37 (via Mavericks): Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
Kevin O’Connor, Yahoo Sports, May 12 projection: Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt (6-foot-0 guard, 167 pounds, 20 years old)
“Tanner enrolled at Vanderbilt as a three-star recruit, stayed off draft boards as a freshman, and then blew up as a sophomore. He became the kind of player where you’d watch him and think: How is nobody stopping this guy? He’s barely 6-feet tall, but he gets wherever he wants on the floor, makes reads before the defense has time to rotate, and then turns around and picks your pocket on the other end. His height is a concern, though.”
No. 37 (via Mavericks): Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
Brett Siegel, Clutch Points, May 11 projection: Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt (6-foot-0 guard, 167 pounds, 20 years old)
“Confidence oozes from Tyler Tanner despite being a 6’0″ point guard. Do not let his size fool you, as Tanner is extremely talented and tends to break down opposing defenses with his crafty play both as a playmaker and facilitator. A specific team like the Thunder, who can mold Tanner into what they want, similar to what happened with Ajay Mitchell, will need to take a chance on the Vanderbilt guard in this draft, as many will pass on him because he’s undersized.”
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: 2026 NBA mock drafts: Post-lottery projections for OKC Thunder