The Oklahoma City Thunder traded the draft rights to Alperen Sengun to the Houston Rockets for two protected first-round draft picks in 2021. Sam Presti got one selection from the Pistons that conveyed as the 17th pick in 2025, but the Wizards' first turned into two second-rounders. One year later, OKC sent all of the picks to New York to get Ousmane Dieng, who is no longer on their roster. The Rockets re-acquired this pick on night two of the draft and selected Bruce Thornton.
This trade has looked like one of Presti’s worst for a while. Sengun is a two-time All-Star and a building block for the Rockets. The big man helped Houston get back in contention. Oklahoma City certainly couldn’t trade these three draft picks for Sengun right now, and the Rockets ended up getting this pick back.
Fans know Presti loves to stockpile draft capital. He was eager to get two future firsts and wasted no time trading them for a lottery pick in 2022. The Thunder keep adding talent they believe in and are not afraid to push the selection into the future if they aren’t sold on who is available. Clearly, Presti didn’t want Sengun, and the Thunder are still regretting this blunder.
Thunder’s Alperen Sengun trade looks disastrous after 2026 NBA Draft
The Rockets traded for the 16th pick in the 2021 draft, and it quickly became clear they landed a special talent. Sengun’s scoring, playmaking, and rebounding are unique for a big man. The 23-year-old is already a two-time All-Star and elite scorer. He is years away from his prime and is locked in with Houston through 2030.
Here is a look at the updated full details of the Alperen Sengun trade from draft night in 2021.
Thunder get: Joan Beringer, Bruce Thornton, and 2027 2nd round pick
Rockets acquired: Alperen Sengun
The two second-round picks come from the Wizards, so Thornton was selected 31st overall in 2026. Washington’s second-rounder in 2027 could be back near the top of the round, but this was still a light return for a future star.
It feels so much worse that Thornton ended up in Houston. The Thunder passed on Sengun and ended up letting the Rockets get back a key piece of OKC's return.
If the Thunder select Sengun, they likely don’t get Chet Holmgren the following year. Holmgren is an elite defender who struggled in the 2026 playoffs. He isn’t going anywhere as his extension kicks in. Chet helped OKC win the title in 2025, and his best days are still ahead of him.
The Thunder likely avoid Sengun in the 2021 draft. Presti loves to select players with versatile skill sets that are plus options on the defensive end. Sengun has never been known as a defender. His closest comp in the draft was Nikola Jokic. It is why OKC traded the pick. Sengun is an All-Star, but he doesn’t fit the mold that Presti prefers to draft.
The Thunder got back the 17th pick in 2025 and two second-rounders for the 16th pick. That is solid business by Presti. Nobody expected Sengun to become an All-Star, but the draft is an inexact science. This deal is a disaster because the Thunder could have drafted a star.
The Oklahoma City Thunder missed a golden opportunity to draft a star big man, and the Alperen Sengun trade wasn’t helped by Bruce Thornton being taken 31st overall by the Rockets. OKC traded the picks years ago, but that doesn’t make it better. This was a massive miss that will haunt the Thunder for years to come.
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