The OKC Thunder aren't only in control their own destiny, but also that of the LA Clippers.
As a result of the 2019 blockbuster trade that sent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Sooner State, Oklahoma City finds itself in possession of Los Angeles' upcoming 2026 first-round draft pick.
With this, coupled with the fact that they are currently 12-21 and reside in the 11 seed in the Western Conference standings, it appears that this pick is destined to net the Thunder yet another lottery selection in this June's festivities.
In reality, it appears that all hope of a successful season for the Clippers is lost. And yet, for some reason, they still seem to have the mindsight of them somehow finding a way to turn things around with a potential in-season move.
Clippers want win-now player despite Thunder owning top trade piece
In a recent intel drop by The Athletic's Sam Amick, it was reported that despite all the signs suggesting Los Angeles should be looking to host a fire sale between now and February's deadline, "league sources say the Clippers are expected to explore the prospect of adding an impact player around Harden and Kawhi Leonard as a way to revive their season in the second half."
Coming into the year, the over-under for LA wins was set at 49.5. Given that they had established superstars in Kawhi Leonard and James Harden leading the charge and were fresh off a highly active offseason, that number seemed more than achievable.
Now, roughly 10 weeks into the 2025-26 campaign, they are currently on pace to total a mere 28 wins.
In any normal situation, a team in the Clippers' position would almost certainly be looking to pack things in, attempt to trade off anything and everything they can to attain future-focused assets, and tank for a better shot at adding a top-flight player in this year's NBA Draft to start anew.
Unfortunately for them, LA's current predicament is anything but "normal," and the Thunder are the reason why.
Considering the lack of picks and promising young talents (they boast by far the oldest roster in the NBA) at their disposal, pickings are undoubtedly slim when it comes to bringing on outsourced options.
Even if they somehow managed to pull off the impossible and make a trade for a talent upgrade like, say, Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., would his arrival really give them all that great a shot at besting any of the top-five teams in their respective conference, let alone the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder?
Answer: No.
Of course, throwing in the towel wouldn't do them any good either, for, as already covered, their draft rights for this year are owned by OKC. Tanking would only make this Bezos-rich franchise even richer.
Simply put, the Clippers currently find themselves in between a rock and a hard place, and the Thunder are the ones who put them there.