On Saturday night, the OKC Thunder fell just short of clinching their second-straight NBA Finals berth.
Amidst injuries and shooting struggles, Oklahoma City had far from a perfect series.
But above all, big man Chet Holmgren might have just made himself the club's top offseason priority -- and not in a good way.
After wrapping up the regular season with All-NBA and All-Defensive honors, the star pivot played well against the Suns and Lakers, but he took a complete 180 against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.
Chet averaged just 10.4 points per game against the wunderkind center, but the eye test was arguably even worse than that.
He was repeatedly bullied at the rim by the likes of Wemby, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and others. Players of all sizes had their way with the big man, and he had no answers down low.
On the offensive side of the ball, Holmgren was blocked at the rim by at least four different players during the series, and he didn't seem to have an answer for anything San Antonio threw at him.
But he saved his greatest disappearing act for last, where he shot the ball just twice in 33 minutes in OKC's Game 7 defeat. He finished with four points.
The performance was a culmination of everything that had gone wrong to that point: he was completely dominated physically, tactically, and mentally.
Thunder add yet another tough decision they didn't originally plan for
Now, the Thunder head into the offseason with a brand new dilemma.
Originally, the majority of the offseason was supposed to revolve around Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort, and their two first-round draft picks. The two have team options, and general manager Sam Presti will need to pull off some financial maneuvering in order to stay under the second apron.
As for their draft picks, the Thunder might not even want to bring two rookies onto their win-now roster, especially with last year's lottery pick, Thomas Sorber, still waiting to log his first lick of NBA action.
But after Holmgren's collapse, it's fair to wonder if the Thunder can even afford to lose Hart, considering he was the main point of defense against Wemby. They also may be forced to spend at least one of their picks on a center who can play competitive minutes against teams of the Spurs' caliber.
There's also Chet's contract to worry about. In 2025-26, OKC was paying him just under $14 million. Next year, however, that number jumps to over $41 million.
What was once a foregone conclusion that OKC would have to fork over this money might not be such a sure thing anymore.
History may not be on Chet Holmgren's side
Yes, Chet Holmgren did produce during the regular season, and he delivered stellar performances in the earlier rounds of the postseason, but the Thunder aren't a team that's content with an early playoff exit.
They have built too competitive a roster to be okay with sending a weak link onto the floor for 30-plus minutes a game.
The last time that happened was when the Dallas Mavericks exposed Josh Giddey on the perimeter, which inevitably led to an OKC loss in the 2025 Western Conference Semifinals.
Giddey was swiftly dealt to Chicago for now Thunder guard, Alex Caruso.
Even worse, the rumors surrounding Chet's standing with the team have already begun.
Midway through the series, trade hypotheticals began circulating on social media involving Holmgren and superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Though the trade was (and still is) far-fetched, the idea of dealing the big man looks much more plausible after watching him prove his expendability for seven straight games.
Especially given OKC's plethora of assets, Presti could easily work his magic and package Chet and others to fortify the roster around star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Needless to say, Presti will have no shortage of time to mull over the big man's future with the team. If he decides he is no longer needed, there will surely be numerous suitors willing to add an All-NBA caliber player to their roster.
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