On Wednesday, the Oklahoma City Thunder's recent past as a draft pick-hoarding rebuilding team will come face-to-face with its present as the best team in the NBA when they play the flagging Philadelphia Sixers. Already one of the most disappointing teams in the league, the Sixers are just 23-45 this season.
Thanks to a trade made a little more than four years ago, when the Sixers were so desperate to get rid of Al Horford's contract that they attached a future first-rounder to the deal, the Thunder now own Philadelphia's 2025 first rounder--as long as it does not land inside the Top 6.
The Sixers coming out of the lottery with the No. 7 pick would be the perfect sceanrio for OKC--they'd get the pick. A lottery shakeup could change things, but as it stands, Philadelphia is currently the sixth-worst team in the NBA, just a half-game better than the Raptors in the East.
It would potentially benefit the Thunder, then, to lose on Wednesday. So when the OKC injury report came out, questions were raised immediately.
The list, from "Locked on Thunder" host Rylan Stiles: "Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Rest) OUT; Jalen Williams (Hip) OUT; Ousmane Dieng (Calf) OUT; Lu Dort (Hip) OUT; Isaiah Hartenstein (Back) Questionable; Cason Wallace (Shoulder) Questionable; Ajay Mitchell (Toe) OUT; Nikola Topic (ACL) OUT."
That means we are likely to see four--count 'em--starters sit out for the Thunder in a game they have some incentive to lose vs. the Sixers.
Thunder Injury Report vs. 76ers
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Rest) OUT
Jalen Williams (Hip) OUT
Ousmane Dieng (Calf) OUT
Lu Dort (Hip) OUT
Isaiah Hartenstein (Back) Questionable
Cason Wallace (Shoulder) Questionable
Ajay Mitchell (Toe) OUT
Nikola Topic (ACL) OUT
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) March 18, 2025
On "The Starting Lineup" show on Sirius XM radio, host Frank Isola said, "OKC, which is already being investigated for a game they played against Portland for violating the league's participation policy, like, you can make the case that Sam presti runs the league.
"Because they've got all these picks, they got the best record in the league, and now, the guy can say, you know what, we're earned the right. Why can't we--everyone else sits their players, why can't I sit my players? We're choosing to do it tonight, we think tonight is the perfect time to do it. And what night does it fall on? The night they play the Sixers because they want the Sixers to win the darn game."
Former NBA player and coach Brian Scalabrine sounded surprised that the Thunder could so blatantly tank a game, "They're really going to do that? They're not even hiding it."
Fans, too, are not happy about the Thunder's plans.
One wrote: "This really (ticks) me off. Not everyone gets to go much and the one game I get to go to with my boy and they pull this. I am so sick and tired of the crap the NBA does. Getting paid millions upon millions to play a game just to rest during one of the games."
Another added, "We gettin investigated again."
And: "Are we actually trying to lose this game in hopes we push the Sixers into the 7th draft spot? Shai just had a game of for rest. Not saying he hasn't earned it, but still."
Related: Thunder Urged to Add Cooper Flagg in Trade for Massive Draft Haul
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This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 10:05 AM.