The Los Angeles Lakers have the No. 25 overall selection in the 2026 NBA Draft and no first or second-rounders for the 2027 or 2029 events. That's created a degree of speculation that Los Angeles could look to move up in 2026 and potentially land a more coveted prospect than those who project to be available at No. 25.
If the Lakers act in accordance with that speculative approach, then the first non-lottery pick they can reportedly aspire to acquire belongs to a familiar foe: The Oklahoma City Thunder.
Despite the fact that Oklahoma City went 64-18 and reached Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, they have two of the first 17 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. They're reportedly unwilling, however, to part with their lottery selection at No. 12 overall.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the first pick after the top 10 that's expected to be available for trade is instead the Thunder's No. 17 pick.
"The next pick that might be made available to teams looking to climb the draft board might not come until Oklahoma City's second turn in the first round at No. 17."
Though it's unclear if the Lakers have any intention of moving up, it seems as though the highest they can realistically aim would bring them to the team that eliminated him.
Lakers trading up at 2026 NBA Draft could run through Thunder
The assortment of options at No. 17 would seemingly be more appealing than those at No. 25 from a pure big board perspective. That by no means guarantees that the Lakers can't make the most of the No. 25 pick, however, particularly when one considers the history of it.
Since the turn of the century, the likes of Tony Allen, Nicolas Batum, Clint Capela, Quentin Grimes, Immanuel Quickley, and Gerald Wallace have all been selected at No. 25 overall.
In saying that, the math is as simple as it gets. Trading up to No. 17 would give the Lakers eight more options in terms of players who would otherwise be taken off the board by the time the No. 25 overall selection comes around.
The question, of course, is how eager the Lakers would be to exchange assets with the team that just swept them out of the playoffs.
Truthfully, Fischer's report is likely more of an indication of the range the Lakers could realistically attempt to trade into than the actual pick they will target. One simply can't help but note that trading up without incurring the exorbitant costs of acquiring a lottery selection could lead them straight to the Thunder.
It's a cruel twist of fate, but if the Lakers are hoping to move up on draft day, then they should at least figure out what the Thunder will be asking for in exchange for the No. 17 pick.
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