During these twilight hours of trade season, news broke that the OKC Thunder will soon be adding some much-needed talent to their rotation.
The best part is, they didn't even have to make a deal in order to do so.
While direct conference foes like the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs have been highly active ahead of Thursday's deadline in their efforts to catch up to the top-seeded Thunder, without even trying Oklahoma City made their strides forward somewhat futile as it was recently reported that star big Chet Holmgren has officially been taken off the team's injury report.
Just in: Thunder star Chet Holmgren is off the team's injury report, clearing the way for him to return to action Friday against the Toronto Raptors in OKC. At 40-9, Thunder's remainder of regular season will feature reintegrating Holmgren into the young, rising title contender.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025
Chet Holmgren officially off injury report, could return to Thunder Friday
Sidelined since November 12 with a right iliac wing fracture, Holmgren's presence within the rotation has been sorely missed. Despite their 32-7 record without his services, it's been more than apparent that the frontcourt has been limited in upside without his elite two-way talent.
Prior to the injury, the sophomore found himself dropping new career highs virtually all across the board. In nine games played while fully healthy, Holmgren was averaging an impressive all-around stat line of 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.9 blocks while shooting 51.9 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from deep.
On top of this, with him on the floor during this period, the Thunder held a 96.8 defensive rating and a 16.6 overall net rating, both ranking first among the club's starters.
Now, granted, it's not as if Oklahoma City has completely crumbled without the big man in tow.
Along with their record (which is the best mark throughout this time), Mark Daigneault's squad finds itself ranking number one in the league in steals per game (10.8), plus-minus (+13.3), defensive rating (104.3), and net rating (13.3).
They've also seen many players take their games to never-before-seen heights, as top-billed free agent signee Isaiah Hartenstein has been a godsend as his replacement at the five (11.4 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks) while Jalen Williams has stepped up to become the de facto second option and became a first-time All-Star as a result (21.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists).
Nevertheless, adding someone of Chet Holmgren's caliber to what is already viewed as the best team in the association is an absolute dream scenario -- One that no blockbuster trade could realistically outdo.
The big man will have a chance to make his long-awaited return to the lineup this Friday in a home tilt against the Toronto Raptors.