Chet Holmgren’s place in Oklahoma City suddenly looks a lot more complicated after the Thunder’s seven-game loss to the Spurs.
The Thunder fell short of the NBA Finals for the second straight season, and San Antonio’s run ended Oklahoma City’s title defense in a series that stretched to Game 7. Holmgren’s role in that deciding game became a talking point, especially after he failed to make much of an imprint.
CBS Sports’ Brad Botkin was blunt about what he saw from Holmgren in the loss: “To even say Holmgren was passive on Saturday night would be giving him too much credit. He was basically invisible.
Of the four shots he took, zero came in the second half. Zero!
That is inexcusable for a guy who will start a five-year, $239 million contract next season. A guy who was voted Third Team All-NBA this season,” Botkin wrote.
Holmgren addressed the performance after the season, and he didn’t try to talk around it. He said: “I have to dive into the tape to understand the specifics of it, but a part of it, I was getting closed out heavily and just being out of rhythm at times.
I feel like there were definitely opportunities to get more attempts up that I didn't in the moment. That's an area to improve," Holmgren said.
The bigger issue for Oklahoma City is what comes next. The franchise has major financial choices ahead, and The Athletic’s Zach Harper pointed to the second apron as a real concern if the Thunder keep their core together.
“The second apron is rearing its ugly head with OKC in real time and will continue to do so as long as the Thunder keep that big three together. They might have to make a big-time decision soon. If Holmgren continues to struggle against Victor Wembanyama when it matters most, then maybe that decision becomes easier,” Harper wrote.
That makes this season feel especially important for Holmgren. He’s already on a max contract, the Thunder’s payroll pressure is only going to rise, and his matchups with Victor Wembanyama could carry more weight than ever. Holmgren remains a favorite in Oklahoma City, but his future may end up being shaped by how he performs when it matters most.
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