Chet Holmgren Suffers Hip Fracture: Return Timeline Will Be Revealed In 8-10 Weeks

The Oklahoma City Thunder fell to their third loss of the season against the Golden State Warriors tonight, with center Chet Holmgren picking up an injury in the first five minutes of the contest playing a part. Holmgren took a bad tumble and was instantly subbed out, with ESPN's Shams Charania now revealing that he suffered a right iliac hip fracture. A return timeline will be provided after 8-10 weeks.

"Thunder: Chet Holmgren suffered a right iliac hip fracture and a return to play protocol will be provided in 8 to 10 weeks."

This is a massive blow to the Thunder, who lost Chet for the entirety of the 2022-23 season after he suffered a season-ending injury in his rookie offseason. He came into the league with injury concerns due to his wiry frame but seemed to put a lot of that to bed last season by playing 82 games as OKC earned the No. 1 seed in the West.

The team was lucky to be one of the healthiest units through last year's 82-game regular season but have been handed two major early-season injuries in the same position. 

Summer signing Isaiah Hartenstein is yet to make his regular-season debut for the franchise as he's recovering from a non-displaced fracture in his left hand, with the team saying he would be re-evaluated in 5-6 weeks. It's been four weeks since the injury, so OKC fans will keep their eyes and ears peeled for an update.

In the meantime, the Thunder will likely rely on Jaylin Williams to be their starting center at the risk of an extremely undersized frontcourt with power forward Jalen Williams standing at 6'5" while Jaylin is 6'10". 

OKC might have to check with any available free agents just to add a body to the bench because this size restriction could hurt their chances of being a top West team during the regular season.

Holmgren was averaging 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks this season, looking like a DPOY contender amidst some sensational performances. With the Thunder saying that his return protocol will be made in 8-10 weeks, this injury could see the big man on the shelf into 2025, if not longer.  

An iliac hip fracture can be dumbed down into being called a pelvis fracture, which would denote a recovery period that could range up to 4-6 months depending on the severity. Hopefully, Holmgren isn't injured seriously and can return in January 2025 instead of having to wait longer for a chance to be back on the court.