Even without making a single move during Tuesday's trade frenzy, the OKC Thunder still managed to come away as one of the biggest winners in the NBA.
That is, at least, according to Tim Bontemps.
During a [Wednesday edition of the Hoop Collective Podcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-IqXBCSK1I&t=228s), the surprise blockbuster trade that sent James Harden to the Cavaliers and Darius Garland to Los Angeles was discussed ad nauseam, with all three hosts, Brian Windhorst, Tim MacMahon, and Bontemps sharing their takes on the exchange.
Though cases were made for why each side in the deal may have come away with the better hand, the veteran ESPN reporter couldn't help but note how he feels that the "big winners" were actually the Thunder.
Thunder have increased odds of landing lottery pick from Clippers
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Thanks to the 2021-22 salary dump trade that shipped Derrick Favors out to Oklahoma City, the Thunder own the unprotected rights to Los Angeles' 2026 first-round pick.
Now, earlier in the season, [these rights seemed to be a shoo-in](https://thunderousintentions.com/okc-thunder-sam-presti-ultimate-fleece-clippers-yield-another-massive-reward) to land somewhere in the upper echelon of the draft lottery, for the Clippers started the year off with a putrid 6-21 record over their first 27 games played.
Of course, as Bontemps noted, Los Angeles seemed to have turned the corner during the weeks leading up to the recent trade, going 17-5 over their last 22 games and were "flying up the standings" from the West's cellar to, now, the ninth seed.
With this, clearly, the odds of the Thunder landing a top pick were rapidly diminishing by the day.
Fast forward to Tuesday, however, and we now see hope restored that Sam Presti could wind up with a lottery selection after all, as LA essentially opted to part ways with a major piece of their mid-season resurgence in exchange for a much younger, albeit injury-plagued replacement at the one who, as of this writing, has missed 25 games and counting as a result of a nagging toe ailment.
To Bontemps, this particular trade doesn't necessarily make the Clippers better this year, while MacMahon declared Garland "a massive uncertainty" and that, because of this, his addition "very likely" could result in Oklahoma City being gifted a late lottery pick at worst.
Though swapping out a 36-year-old Harden for a 26-year-old, two-time All-Star in Garland may end up being beneficial in the long-run, for the short-term, it is widely perceived to be a move that could make the dynasty-pushing Thunder even stronger.