During an appearance on ESPN, Marc J. Spears revealed that Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City Thunder want to move up into the top 10 of the 2026 NBA Draft. Unfortunately for Chet Holmgren, that could be his nightmare. If the Thunder hit on a big in that range, he could eventually be a second-apron casualty.
Holmgren just wrapped up a pretty rough playoff run. He played okay in the early rounds, but by the Western Conference finals, his offense fell off a cliff. And now, he’s slated to be on a max contract for years. With the Thunder pressed up against the second-apron, that’s a brutal deal (especially if Holmgren doesn’t improve.
If OKC nails its pick this year – especially if it's a big man – Holmgren could eventually be in danger.
Thunder moving up in draft could be bad for Chet Holmgren
This is what Spears had to say about the Thunder potentially looking to move up in this year’s draft. They don’t want to move up a little. They want to move up a lot:
"I keep hearing from several NBA executives that the Thunder are trying to move up, not just the two first-round picks, but the second-round pick, into the top 10. Who wants to give up a player in this draft in the top-10? Good luck, Sam."
If OKC is willing to trade all three of its selections in this year’s draft (No. 12, No. 17, and No. 37), then it must have its eyes on someone good. Or, the Thunder just like a lot of the guys in this year’s draft.
Over the years, the Thunder have accrued a ton of first-round picks. They’ve been stockpiling them. So, perhaps they could entice a team into giving them a top-10 pick this year with the right package.
For Holmgren, that could be a scary thought. A lot of the best prospects in this year’s draft – outside of the top four – are guards. However, there are some very talented big men, too.
Michigan’s Aday Mara stands out. He’s a massive, towering presence who could be a very intriguing long-term fit in OKC. His teammate, Morez Johnson Jr., is also a solid center.
Perhaps the Thunder could also use one of Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg or Washington’s Hannes Steinbach as a center.
The worst-case scenario for Holmgren? The Thunder managed to jump all the way into the top three. In that case, they could take Duke’s Cameron Boozer, and Holmgren’s long-term trouble would double.
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