Thunder News: Rising stars, best play, superstar trade, all-time draft busts

The Oklahoma City Thunder got a chance to catch their breath over the past week, with their last game coming on Tuesday the 13th. They will have eight full days off over All-Star Break, tied for the most of any team. That's especially valuable for players like Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace who last played just 35-or-so games in college and now are trying to make it through a full 82-game season.

The time off also allowed us as a site to take a step back and cast our gaze into the past, highlighting some key trends in Thunder history. We also looked ahead to the offseason and what could await the Thunder there.

It's Tuesday, so let's dive into the latest edition of Thunder News!

Rising Stars

The Oklahoma City Thunder were well-represented at All-Star Weekend, starting with the Rising Stars event on Friday night. Three members of the Thunder competed, with Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams teaming up on "Team Jalen" and winning the mini-tournament format. Teammate Bennedict Mathurin took home the MVP, but it was Williams who hit the game-winning shot to hit the target score and clinch the target.

The question for the Thunder's "rising stars" is whether they will be back at All-Star Weekend next year playing on Friday again, or whether they'll be suiting up with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the main event on Sunday. Both Williams and Holmgren are on the path to stardom, and it appears to be a matter of "when" not "if" for both landing on the full All-Star Team.