Holmgren likens Thunder departures to losing family
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- Chet Holmgren described the departures of Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe as 'like losing a family member' Saturday at a USA Basketball Foundation charity event in Southern California.
- Sam Presti traded Dort and Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks and Joe to the Detroit Pistons, receiving a total of seven future second-round picks in cap-shedding moves.
- Oklahoma City used the cleared salary space to retain center Isaiah Hartenstein on a three-year, $75 million free-agent deal, and the Thunder remain among the betting favorites for the 2027 title.
- Holmgren averaged 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks last season to earn his first All-Star nod, but finished with just four points and four rebounds in the Game 7 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
- The Thunder were eliminated in the Western Conference finals by Victor Wembanyama's Spurs in seven games, with Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell battling injuries, one year after winning the 2025 title over the Indiana Pacers.
- Holmgren said he has 'complete trust' in the Thunder's front office and that his job is 'to be in the gym all summer to get my stuff right.'
Why it matters: The Thunder offloaded three rotation players for seven second-round picks specifically to retain Hartenstein and keep the SGA–Williams–Holmgren core intact, restructuring a championship roster around three max-contract stars while remaining a 2027 title favorite.
