Sunday, the OKC Thunder suffered their second loss of the 2024-25 NBA season in a hard-fought bout against the Golden State Warriors, but this unfavorable outcome was far from the most noteworthy happening on the night.
Mid-way through the first quarter of action, star big Chet Holmgren plummeted hard to the floor after contesting a driving Andrew Wiggins. Landing directly on his right hip, Holmgren would require assistance getting off the court and into the locker room.
He would not return to the game.
With the official word being he sustained a right iliac wing fracture and is expected to miss "eight to ten weeks", if this and the image of the sophomore grimacing on the hardwood and then, ironically, being helped off the court by two other currently hobbled Oklahoma City centers in Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams didn't make it obvious, allow us at TI to: The Thunder need more options within their frontcourt!
Sure, OKC managed to storm back in the fourth quarter and bring the once-out-of-reach game into striking distance without any semblance of a menacing pivot presence, but it was evident throughout that they struggled to manage the interior, specifically when on defense.
This turn of events should have served as something of a wake-up call for Sam Presti and company, as it's more than evident that they have an infestation of injury bugs within the frontcourt region of their depth chart, and, considering their championship aspirations, can't afford to move forward in this year's campaign without being prepared.
Because of all this, there are a few big men the Thunder must look to pursue as insurance policies.
Big men Thunder must now target following Chet Holmgren injury
Bismack Biyombo
Ideally, the Thunder would like to add a big who can quickly get acclimated to coach Mark Daigneault's scheme and develop chemistry with OKC's core.
For Bismack Biyombo, it would simply be reclamation, as he already is familiar with the organization after having played in Loud City for a large chunk of the 2023-24 season.
Though he saw extremely limited action with the team, seeing just 7.3 minutes on average, he still managed to establish himself as a favorite among his peers thanks to his easy-going attitude and veteran presence.
Before signing with the Thunder back in February of 2024, the 32-year-old was regularly used as a starter for the Memphis Grizzlies where, in 23.9 minutes through 30 games played, he averaged 5.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks on 56.3 percent shooting from the floor.
Such production suggests that Biyombo is still more than capable of logging spot or extended minutes at the five if ever called upon and has a proven track record from throughout his career of snatching down rebounds, protecting the rim, and setting screens (all attributes OKC could use more of).
Larry Nance Jr.
While many may believe that Chet Holmgren's injury should push the Thunder toward adding another center talent, being traditional fives in Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams are slated to come back soon, perhaps it may be more strategic for the front office to pursue more of a hybrid big rather than a proper pivot in an effort to create more mix-and-match opportunities moving forward.
In the event that Oklahoma City views this as a desirable course of action, Hawks power forward Larry Nance Jr. should be strongly considered as a potential target.
Though he may measure in at just 6-foot-8, the 31-year-old has made a career for himself as a tweener big thanks to his impressive ability to provide strength and aggressiveness down in the paint on both ends of the floor.
On top of his defensive versatility and rebounding skills (13.1 boards per 100 possessions throughout his 10-year career), Nance would also provide the Thunder with solid floor-spacing on the offensive end, as he's cashed in on an efficient 36.7 percent of his long-range attempts dating back to 2019-20.
For some low-end draft capital and salary matches, a trade could prove to be well worth it for the ball club.
JaVale McGee
Warriors star Draymond Green recently went on record suggesting that the Thunder don't carry themselves as a legitimate championship contender, saying that "there’s a certain fear you have to instill in teams in order to win" and, from what he's seen, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company currently don't administer such an emotion.
Whether such claims should be taken seriously or not is something that is up for serious debate -- after all, Oklahoma City is objectively the most dominant two-way team in the association.
However, perhaps the organization could be interested in hitting two birds with one stone when it comes to both addressing their center depth and adding someone who helped Golden State instill said "fear" into opponents with the potential signing of JaVale McGee.
A part of two Championship runs with the Dubs (2017 & 2018) and one with the Lakers (2020), the veteran has a strong understanding of what it takes to win at the highest level, while his 7-foot build and 16 years of experience collecting rebounds, protecting the rim, and partaking in the nitty-gritty aspects of the game makes him an interesting option for the big man-needy Thunder to pursue.
With all this coupled with career averages of 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks while shooting 57.8 percent from the field, OKC should strongly consider the idea of snatching up McGee off free agency.