Chet Holmgren’s absence from HoopsHype’s latest list of the NBA’s 27 best power forwards says more about his changing role than it does about his talent.
With the new season approaching, preseason rankings are starting to roll out, and the Thunder are bound to show up all over them. Some will be flattering.
Others won’t be. In Holmgren’s case, the surprise was that he didn’t show up at all.
HoopsHype’s ranking featured Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Johnson and Scottie Barnes at the top, with names like Rui Hachimura, Jonathan Kuminga and John Collins filling out the rest of the group. Holmgren wasn’t included, which likely comes down to one thing: he still isn’t universally viewed as a power forward.
That’s the part the league may be catching up to.
Holmgren has already spent plenty of time in that spot. Over the last two seasons, whenever Isaiah Hartenstein has started alongside him, Holmgren has been the one sliding into the power forward role. He still gets the opening tip because of his 7-foot frame, but Hartenstein handles the interior work while Holmgren operates more on the perimeter.
NBA.com lists Holmgren as a “center-forward,” and that hybrid label fits. But the Thunder’s recent decisions suggest the “center” part of that description may matter less and less.
At 7-foot-1 and 208 pounds, Holmgren’s thin build has created issues against stronger bigs. The most recent example came in the Western Conference Finals, where Victor Wembanyama overpowered him across seven games. In Game 7, Holmgren took just two shots and largely disappeared.
The Thunder saw enough to make a change. They used their first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Michigan’s Aday Mara, a player even taller and bigger than Holmgren. He was drafted to be a “Wembanyama Stopper” of sorts, and his arrival should take some of the rim-protecting burden off Holmgren against larger centers.
Now Mark Daigneault has Isaiah Hartenstein, Aday Mara, Jaylin Williams and Thomas Sorber available in the paint. If the Thunder want Holmgren stationed away from the basket, they have the bodies to make that happen.
That could push Holmgren into a more permanent perimeter role, which makes sense given his frame and skill set. He reportedly added some weight this offseason, but he’s still a long way from the Nikola Jokic mold and doesn’t look built to handle a matchup like Wembanyama.
If the Thunder’s version of Holmgren as a power forward takes off, he should have a much better shot at landing near the top of that kind of list next year.
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Chet Holmgrens rough showing in the Western Conference Finals drew plenty of attention, and for good reason. He struggled to find his rhythm against San Antonio, shot poorly and spent much of the matchup being outplayed by Victor Wembanyama, which made him an easy place to point after the Oklahoma City Thunder came up short.
But the bigger issue for Oklahoma City was never just Holmgrens box score. The Thunder were dealing with major rotation losses in Jaylen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, and those absences left the roster thinner than it needed to be in the most demanding part of the series. Even with that handicap, Oklahoma City still dragged the matchup all the way to a Game 7, which says plenty about how close the Thunder were despite the circumstances. [Read more 🡒]
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Sacramento is the name to circle here because of where the Kings sit in the standings picture and how much room there still is for movement around them. Duren landing there would not be expected to dramatically alter their postseason outlook, but the Thunder have plenty of reason to keep an eye on the broader free-agent market, since a different destination could give one of Oklahoma Citys biggest rivals a meaningful boost. So even if this is not a Thunder move in the traditional sense, it is the kind of transaction that could shape the path ahead in ways that matter in Oklahoma City. [Read more 🡒]
SGAs MVP Buzz Is Slipping For A Reason Thunder Fans Will Love
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For Thunder fans, though, there is a familiar silver lining. Oklahoma City is again expected to win at a level that keeps the team in the leagues elite conversation, and this time the load around Gilgeous-Alexander should be spread more evenly across a deep group. With Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Ajay Mitchell and the rest of the supporting cast helping shoulder the burden, the MVP chase may get trickier for SGA, even if the Thunders bigger picture looks just as bright. [Read more 🡒]