Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren reacted after the team traded several longtime teammates this summer.
The Thunder traded Isaiah Joe to the Detroit Pistons for two second-round picks, and then traded Luguentz Dort and Aaron Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks in two separate trades that brought back five second-round picks, so the team got seven second-round picks back in total, plus a ton of salary cap and luxury tax relief.
Still, it doesn’t make it any easier for the Thunder players, who lost three long-time, valued teammates who helped the team win the NBA Championship in 2025.
Chet Holmgren Reacts to Thunder Trades
Speaking to ESPN at a USA Basketball Foundation charity event in Southern California, Holmgren shared his reaction to the Thunder trading Joe, Dort, and Wiggins.
“That’s how the business of this game goes. No team, all 17 guys, sticks together forever. But it doesn’t make it hurt less when you see guys go. At the same time, I’m excited for (Dort and Wiggins) and the opportunity they’re going to have in Atlanta. I’m happy for whatever major milestones they reach over there,” Holmgren said.
It’s a mature response from Holmgren, and it’s because although he would have loved to keep those three guys in Oklahoma City, he knows that Thunder GM Sam Presti is the best in the world at what he does, and he trusts the moves that he makes completely.
“I have complete trust in our team and the moves they make. I trust what they’re doing is to get it right. It’s my job to be in the gym all summer to get my stuff right,” Holmgren said.
Thunder Still Favored to Win NBA Championship
Even with these trades, the Thunder are still the co-favorites, along with the San Antonio Spurs, to win the NBA Championship at +270 odds according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Although the Thunder did lose three valuable contributors, the team is still stacked with the players they have returning, and they also picked up some nice prospects at the NBA Draft, as well, to help replace the players that they lost.
While winning the NBA Championship is once again the goal, Holmgren knows that it is not easy to win it all, as the team can play as well as they can and still come up just short if another rival plays just a little bit better.
“We learned the same lesson (in 2026) as the year that we won it: It was almost more of a reminder of just how hard it is to accomplish, and how much goes into it. There is no guarantee. You can put in all the work and still come up short. At the end of the day, you have to be okay with putting in the work with no guaranteed outcome. We came up short this year. That doesn’t change the process,” Holmgren said.
Even with the Thunder losing three key contributors, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Holmgren, and the rest of the band coming back, expect Oklahoma City to once again contend for the NBA title this season.
Chet Holmgren Reacts to Thunder Trading Longtime Teammates