Chet Holmgren’s knee injury has added another major hit to an already battered Thunder roster.
Oklahoma City announced Friday that the All-Star big man underwent a biological treatment to address a small patellar tendon tear in his right knee. The team says Holmgren is expected to make a full recovery, with a return timetable of roughly eight to 10 weeks.
Holmgren had already built a monster season last year, piling up third-team All-NBA and first-team All-Defense honors after putting up 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks while shooting .557/.362/.792 in 69 regular season games. He also finished second to Victor Wembanyama in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
The Thunder said Holmgren first started feeling discomfort in the knee on October 25, the same day the team lost Jalen Williams to a fractured left fibula and dislocated ankle. Williams required surgery on Wednesday.
That same Oct. 25 win over the Clippers also came with another costly loss: Cason Wallace suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Wallace had surgery on Friday and, like Williams, will be reevaluated before the regular season ends, according to the team.
For the 2025 champions, it’s been a rough stretch. Oklahoma City has won the most regular season games in the league in each of the past two seasons, but now it is trying to navigate the opening weeks without Williams, Holmgren and Wallace. Williams and Holmgren are both in the first year of five-year rookie scale max extensions, while Wallace recently signed a five-year, $139MM rookie scale extension that begins next season.
If Holmgren comes back in eight weeks, the calendar points to a Dec. 25 matchup in Minnesota. A 10-week absence would push his return closer to Jan. 7 or Jan. 10.
And Holmgren isn’t the only absence complicating things. Oklahoma City has also opened the season without Nikola Topic, who had low back surgery, and Thomas Sorber, who had right knee surgery.
The Thunder also lost second-round pick Otega Oweh to a torn Achilles tendon in the preseason before waiving him to create room for Micah Peavy, and Alex Caruso has recently sprained his ankle. That leaves the team with very few healthy bodies.
With the roster stretched thin, the Thunder are reportedly planning to sign swingman Ochai Agbaji for their 15th spot. Filling that slot would give Oklahoma City more flexibility with its two-way players and would let the team apply for a hardship exception, opening the door to adding more help on 10-day contracts. Holmgren’s injury makes that possibility even more likely.
Because the Thunder are already over the first tax apron, any standard addition - including Agbaji - will drive up their projected bill. Even so, they still have room below the second tax apron, which gives them some space to make smaller moves without crossing that line.
In Other News...
Shais New Thunder Burden Could Be Costing OKC Its Biggest Edge
Early in the 2026-27 season, the Thunder are already juggling a thinner rotation than they hoped for, with Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace out long term and the burden spreading across the roster. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has had to absorb more on both ends, and the extra defensive load is showing up in the way Oklahoma City is trying to survive these stretches without losing the edge that has made it so hard to beat.
The concern is that the added responsibility may be trimming into the part of his game that usually carries the Thunder most. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 26.0 points per game, and Oklahoma City is still waiting for Chet Holmgren to return and help restore some balance. Until then, the Thunder are counting on their star to keep producing at his usual level while doing more of the heavy lifting defensively, a combination that could determine how long they can stay in the race. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Just Addressed A Growing Problem On The Wing
With wing injuries piling up and the roster already stretched thin, the Thunder are moving to add some immediate depth by bringing in free agent swingman Ochai Agbaji. The 2022 first-round pick was recently waived by the Knicks, and Oklahoma City is expected to bring him in on a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary deal as it tries to stabilize a position group that has taken a hit in recent days.
For a team trying to keep its flexibility intact while navigating a rash of absences, the move is as much about roster management as it is about one players fit. Agbaji gives the Thunder another body on the wing and keeps the front office positioned to explore additional short-term help if the injury situation continues to demand it. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Just Took A Flier On A Familiar Wing For A Reason
The Thunder have added another layer to their wing rotation by signing free agent forward Ochai Agbaji, a familiar name for anyone who has followed the league since his draft night. The 6-foot-5 wing was the No. 14 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and has already logged four NBA seasons, bouncing through stops with the Raptors, Jazz and Nets before landing this opportunity in Oklahoma City.
For a team trying to keep its perimeter depth intact, the timing makes sense. Oklahoma City has been managing injuries to key players on the wing, and this move gives the roster some extra insurance while also bringing in a player with enough experience to step into a role quickly if needed. The Thunder did not have much room left to maneuver, so the final spot went to a player whose profile fits the need as much as the moment. [Read more 🡒]