The OKC Thunder have made one thing clear: Chet Holmgren remains a key piece in their future plans. This postseason, however, may have slightly opened the door to a slightly different story.
He has a clear mental block that goes by the name of Victor Wembanyama.
This summer, general manager Sam Presti has made it known that Holmgren is not for sale. Such a declaration might change, though, if the right player (with a history of success against the Spurs' big man) became available.
Fortunately for OKC, such an opportunity may have just presented itself.
The Detroit Pistons have been in talks with their star center and restricted free agent, Jalen Duren, about a max contract all offseason. Those talks have apparently gone south as of late, and Duren has made it clear he wants out.
The sudden shift represents a golden opportunity for the Thunder to swoop in and snag the rim protector.
Chet Holmgren for Jalen Duren provides Thunder a real Wemby stopper
If the Thunder were to pursue Duren, it would be a challenge to pull off a deal in which the Pistons would sign him and subsequently ship him to Oklahoma City. Unfortunately for OKC, the deal couldn't center around their impressive collection of assets, as Duren's contract would financially handicap them.
In order to make such a move, the Thunder would have to use Holmgren as the primary trade chip. Holmgren, who possesses a more decorated resume than Duren, would likely demand the Pistons add more pieces than just their own big.
That could include assets or other valuable role players. Either way, it could be a step toward the Thunder gaining some much-needed financial flexibility while also providing Detroit with compensation for failing to sign their star.
Duren represents a major step forward toward helping OKC overcome its biggest hurdle, both figuratively and literally.
In his three matchups against Victor Wembanyama, Duren has limited the Spurs cornerstone to just 42.9 percent shooting. Wemby shot just 6-for-16 in two of the three games.
Losing Chet would undoubtedly be tough, but this kind of move would still see the Thunder repping one of the game's most intimidating rim-protecting tandems in the league with Duren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Plus, it would allow them to trim some extra fat, as they may no longer need Jaylin Williams or potentially Thomas Sorber following such an exchange.
Thunder would have advantage they haven't experienced this summer
In negotiating this deal, the Thunder would enjoy a luxury they have been on the wrong side of all offseason.
With Duren's demands, the Pistons find themselves lacking leverage and would be inclined to pull off a deal by any means necessary. If that deal elicited a player of Holmgren's caliber, they would be champing at the bit to pull the trigger.
The Thunder haven't experienced this advantage so far in 2026.
In June, they were forced to deal Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe for next to nothing, as they were (and still are) attempting to get under the second apron. Teams recognized this desperation and acted accordingly.
In this scenario, however, the Thunder would be on the right side of the power dynamic. Fans would certainly entrust Presti to succeed in such an authoritative position.
While this kind of trade is at best just speculation, it's not out of the realm of possibility that the Thunder aren't yet done making moves.
They are still currently over the second apron, and something needs to give before the 2026-27 season begins. Don't be surprised if Presti and company look to rock the boat at least one more time before all is said and done.
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