Oklahoma City, OK — Thunder general manager Sam Presti expressed confidence in center Chet Holmgren on Monday, two weeks after the 2026 Western Conference Finals ended with a Game 7 loss in which the second-year big man scored four points and grabbed four rebounds.
“Chet’s one of our guys,” Presti told reporters. “He’s been so impactful. We swept our way to the Western Conference Finals largely because of what he did against the Suns and Lakers. He didn’t have a great series in the last round, but I’m not concerned about him.”
Presti added that Holmgren is “intrinsically motivated” and pointed to the player’s defensive dominance in last season’s NBA Finals Game 7 as evidence of his resilience.
Roster and Salary Decisions
The Thunder could exceed the second tax apron in 2026-27 if they pick up team options on Isaiah Hartenstein, Luguentz Dort and Kenrich Williams. Presti said ownership is prepared to spend if it keeps the club in title contention, but noted that final decisions might “go a little deeper into the summer than we’re used to.”
Draft Outlook
Oklahoma City holds picks Nos. 12, 17 and 37 in this month’s draft. Presti said the front office will examine scenarios to move up, trade back or exit the draft entirely, depending on where it sees the greatest value. “Sometimes the best value is taking the best player on the board and figuring it out later,” he said.
Injury and Player Updates
First-round pick Thomas Sorber, who tore his ACL last September and missed his entire rookie year, is unlikely to appear in Summer League, according to Presti. The executive also praised mid-season addition Jared McCain for quickly adapting to the roster and said he looks forward to evaluating the guard through a full offseason and training camp.
Source: Hoops Rumors
