Chet Holmgren Provides Stability For OKC Thunder’s Defense for the Future

It was a foregone conclusion that, at some point in the future, Oklahoma City would have to make some tough decisions regarding cap space. With the second and third apron looming, the Thunder were always going to have to get creative. Luckily, that day is not today — but this summer marks the start of the extensions that will cost Oklahoma City quite a bit of money.

From the time the Thunder started to ascend, it was clear that Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren were likely going to be max players. And of course, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has turned into a no-brainer, super-max, throw every dime possible type of player. Looking forward into the Thunder’s future, it feels like they can plan on keeping the big three — the core that won them a championship — but they’d have to get creative with the rest of the roster.

On Wednesday, Holmgren signed a monster deal locking him down in Oklahoma City for the next five years. He helped anchor one of the best defenses in NBA history — even through injury. In the playoffs, while his offense struggled, his defensive performances were astounding. He is statistically one of the best and most impactful defensive players in the NBA. He's an unbelievable shot blocker and has really improved his rebounding, too.

With the new CBA in full form, the Thunder will have to make some impossible decisions soon. With Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren, and soon to be Williams locked in on max contracts, every Thunder squad from this point on will likely be tooled around those three. With so many potential moving pieces year-to-year, Holmgren's role will be that much more important. He'll provide major defensive consistency to a roster that could have a lot of turnover some years.

Having Holmgren in the middle, anchoring the defense year after year will give the Thunder something to rely on no matter what the roster looks like.