If the Thunder are going to make another run at the title, Chet Holmgren may be the swing piece.
Oklahoma City has already spent the offseason juggling the future and the present, moving players, deciding who to bring back and who to let walk. That process is going to leave the roster and rotation looking different next season. But even with the changes, the biggest question still circles back to one young big man.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is not the issue. The Thunder know what they’re getting there.
What they learned last year, though, is that he can’t carry everything by himself. For Oklahoma City to get back to the top, Holmgren has to be more than just a strong second option.
He has to be the guy who steps into the spotlight when defenses load up on Gilgeous-Alexander.
Holmgren already gave Oklahoma City plenty to build on during the regular season. He put up 17.1 points per game and picked up a stack of honors along the way: an NBA All-Star nod, All-NBA Third Team recognition, All-NBA Defensive First Team honors and a second-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
The postseason, though, told a different story. Holmgren’s playoff run ended with a rough finish in the Western Conference Finals, and his scoring dipped to 14.9 points per game, the lowest postseason average of his career. Even so, he was more efficient than he’d ever been in the playoffs, shooting 56.8% from the field.
That’s the tension with Holmgren right now. The talent is obvious.
The production is already there. What Oklahoma City needs next is a bigger dose of assertiveness when the games tighten and the defense is built to take Gilgeous-Alexander out of rhythm.
The source of the answer isn’t complicated: Holmgren has to bring more confidence, and more force, to the biggest moments. Teams are going to keep throwing different defensive looks at Gilgeous-Alexander, and when that happens, the Thunder need Holmgren to be the one who takes over.
He’s shown enough to prove he can be one of the league’s best players. Now the next step is turning that into playoff belief, because if he does, Oklahoma City’s path back to the top gets a lot clearer.
In Other News...
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The Thunder have spent the last few years building one of the leagues deepest young cores, and that strength can create ripple effects beyond their own draft picks. Oklahoma City also has a 2027 first-round swap with the Clippers, a future asset that suddenly looks more interesting after Los Angeles reshaped its roster and altered the path ahead.
With the draft lottery rules changing by 2027, the value of that swap could shift in OKCs favor if the Clippers land in a rough spot while the Thunder remain good enough to stay out of the lottery themselves. It gives the Thunder another layer of optionality down the road, whether that becomes a chance to add another premium talent or a chip to use in a larger deal if the timing is right. [Read more 🡒]
Only One West Move Should Really Concern Thunder Fans
The offseason has been busy across the West, with headline-grabbing moves reshaping a few rosters in ways nobody had on their radar a month ago. Oklahoma City has mostly stayed the course after its 2024-25 title run, trimming salary in spots but leaving the championship core intact, so most of the outside movement has felt more like background noise than a direct threat to the Thunder.
Minnesotas new backcourt look is the one exception worth keeping an eye on, because the fit could change how the Timberwolves operate around Anthony Edwards. If that group finds the handling, play-making and shooting it needs, it gives Oklahoma City another team in the conference with a different kind of problem to solve, and a hot night from the wrong opponent can still make a long regular season feel a little less comfortable. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Are Taking A Surprising Chet Holmgren Gamble
Oklahoma Citys roster-building has always been about preserving options, but this summer brought a notable exception as Sam Presti treated Chet Holmgren as more than just another asset in a market flush with star-chasing teams. In a league where elite big men and versatile defenders rarely become available, Holmgrens size, rim protection and long-term upside give the Thunder a player who fits both their present and future, even as the front office continues to manage cap pressure with an eye on staying flexible.
The choice stands out because it cuts against the more incremental, constantly adjusting style Presti has used to build value over time. The Thunder have already trimmed depth to create financial breathing room, and every move now seems tied to the same larger question: how to keep the roster strong enough to win now without boxing themselves in later. Holmgren sits right at the center of that calculation, which is why his place in Oklahoma City feels less settled than most others, even if the team is not acting like it. [Read more 🡒]