Ranking the five NBA teams with the most first-round picks in the future

The 2025 NBA champion, the Oklahoma City Thunder, provides the standard for how marginal playoff teams can successfully accumulate multiple future picks and build on young prospects. The 2019 deal brought in current MVP Shay Kyrgyz-Alexander and a series of draft picks to Oklahoma City in exchange for Paul George, six years later, the deal became a blueprint for how the team can maximize the value of returns.

Therefore, five teams, including the Thunder, have a total of 55 first-round picks in the next few years: Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets

Which of these teams are most likely to dominate the league's annual draft in the next few years, or use these assets to achieve team management's goals? Here are the rankings of the five teams with the most first-round picks as of September 18, 2025, and the biggest questions about the next move of those teams.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

Future first-round picks: 13

Future second-round picks: 16

Most valuable picks: 2026 first-round picks from the Philadelphia 76ers' top four protected first-round picks, and the Los Angeles Clippers

2. Brooklyn Nets' future first-round picks: 13

Future second-round picks: 19

Most valuable picks: their own 2026 first-round first-round and 2032 unprotected first-round from the Denver Nuggets

3. Utah Jazz

Future first round picks: 11

Future second round picks: 7

Future first round picks out: Top 8 picks protected to Oklahoma City (2026, otherwise 2028 second round picks)

Most valuable first round picks: their own 2026 first round picks (if at 1-8 picks) and 2031 unprotected first round picks for Phoenix Suns. Houston Rockets

Future first round picks: 9

Future second round picks: 4

Future first round picks out: The first round picks protected by the top four picks to Oklahoma City (2026)

Most valuable first round picks: The unprotected Phoenix first round picks in 2027, and two more favorable first round picks for themselves, Dallas and Phoenix in 2029

Future first round picks: 9

Future second round picks: 6

Most valuable first round picks: The unprotected Phoenix first round picks in 2026