Chet Holmgren isn’t hiding how much the Thunder’s offseason shakeup has hit him. The departures of Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins left a mark, with Holmgren comparing those moves to “losing a family member.” But the emotional side of it comes with a clear basketball reality: Oklahoma City needs more from him now, and he knows it.
At a recent USA Basketball Foundation charity event, Holmgren said the offseason changes make it even more important for him to raise his level. He didn’t sugarcoat the responsibility, telling media members that “it's my job to be in the gym all summer to get myself right” as he prepares to help replace what the departed players brought to the Thunder.
That message has already been backed up by the work. Holmgren recently posted a photo of himself in the weight room on Instagram, and he was also spotted getting in on-court reps with Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III a few weeks ago.
The timing matters, too, because Holmgren is coming off the best season of his young career. In 2025-26, he averaged 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks while shooting 55.7 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from three. That season also earned him All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defensive recognition.
Now he’s heading into year four with a chance to take another step after the Thunder fell short in the postseason and then made those roster changes this summer.
Holmgren isn’t the only one putting in the work. He said at the charity event that the whole team has to commit to “putting in the work with no guaranteed outcome” if it wants another Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2027.
And by the look of it, plenty of Thunder players have taken that to heart. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace and Jared McCain were recently seen in joint behind-the-scenes training sessions. SGA and Jalen Williams were also recorded doing hill runs together, while Jaylin Williams showed up in an offseason workout montage that made the rounds on social media.
After coming up short in their second straight NBA Finals bid in the way they did, the Thunder have plenty of motivation. With more than a month still left before training camps open, the group seems to be leaning into the grind.
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For a Thunder team that has long valued Dorts physical edge and point-of-attack presence, the shift carried real weight. His season forced Oklahoma City to confront an uncomfortable roster reality: even a player who had been part of the program for years could become expendable if the performance curve kept bending down. And with Dort now headed to Atlanta in a salary dump, the ending only underscores how abruptly those decisions can arrive once the fit no longer holds. [Read more 🡒]