OKC Thunder fans are likely to already be tuning in for Friday's Play-In Tournament festivities, as the winner of the 8:30 p.m. (CT) showdown between the Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies will be heading out to Paycom Center for Sunday's Game 1 of the postseason.
However, this is by no means the only event on the night that will have a direct impact on Oklahoma City. In fact, one could argue that the game preceding Mavs v. Grizzlies is even more exciting for the franchise and their faithful followers.
At 6:00 p.m. (CT), the Atlanta Hawks will be playing host to the Miami Heat in a last-ditch effort to claim the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference standings and win a date with the Cleveland Cavaliers for round one.
Though the outcome of the contest won't have an effect on OKC's upcoming playoff run (unless, of course, the winner somehow plays them in the NBA Finals), it will, in fact, have a positive impact on the team's future, as it'll add yet another first-round draft pick to Sam Presti's already elite collection.
The only question is, what could the value of said selection be?
The OKC Thunder win regardless of Heat vs. Hawks outcome
As part of the ever-giving Paul George for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander swap of 2019, the Thunder hold the rights to Miami's 2025 lottery-protected first-round pick.
What this means is, should the Heat beat Atlanta (something they've done twice this season already), they'd officially be postseason-bound and, thus, have to forfeit their 2025 rights to Oklahoma City, giving them two first-rounders in this year's stacked draft.
Now, on the surface, this may lead some fans to believe that rooting for Tyler Herro and co. on Friday night is a must. However, based on the stipulations of the pick's protections, there's a chance they could gain even more value if Miami were to lose.
Should this latter scenario come to fruition, the draft rights would remain in South Beach for 2025, which would then automatically send OKC their pick for 2026, protection-free.
This means, whether the Heat take home their fourth Larry O'Brien Trophy next season or crash, burn, and, in turn, head to the lottery, the Thunder will wind up owning their rights.
Considering they already have an enviable standing with several other potential pick swap opportunities, adding an unprotected pick for what many project to be a strong class in 2026 could end up being an awesome scenario.
Either way, no matter how Miami's matchup against the Hawks plays out, the Thunder will still find themselves coming away as winners.
The only question is, would you rather have them add more capital for the 2025 class or in 2026?