OKC Thunder: Grading Chet Holmgren Contract Extension

It was an unforgettable season in Bricktown, with the Oklahoma City Thunder winning their first NBA Championship after a historic 2024-25 regular season. The Thunder were record-breakers, turning in the best record cross-conference in league history, the best point differential in NBA history, the most wins in franchise history and clinched the best record in the NBA, which granted them homecourt advantage through their entire title run.

In the midst of that regular season, the OKC Thunder only saw Chet Holmgren play in 32 games after an 82-game campaign a year ago. Holmgren went soaring through the air to try to block a shot from Andrew Wiggins before splattering on the floor on Nov. 10 to shatter his hip.

Holmgren made a tremendous effort to get back on the hardwood earlier than expected, returning on Feb. 7 before playing the entire postseason for Oklahoma City.

Without the rim protection that the seven-footer offered the Thunder in the playoffs, OKC wouldn't be celebrating a Larry O'Brien trophy.

This offseason, the Oklahoma City Thunder have extended the rising star big man to a five-year contract worth $239.9 Million. Holmgren gets a 25% max. The contract without escalators just being a flat percentage of the cap is a big win for the Bricktown Ballers.

Grading the Chet Holmgren Extension

The contract extension for Holmgren is a no-brainer. Around the NBA, this first max is known as a fun max. Especially for a player as talented as the Thunder center. The grade gets heightened due to the contractual language being void of escalators despite the high ceiling that Holmgren has.

There is a strong chance that despite this gaudy salary, Holmgren outperforms this contract. His ability to defend is already at an elite level. The Gonzaga product is no worse than a top-three center on that end of the floor with his jaw-dropping rim protection and ability to switch into space when needed.

Offensively, he has the most room to grow.

Holmgren has proven at every level to be a high-end 3-point shooter for his position. His ability to knock down catch-and-shoot jumpers should return the further away he gets from his hip fracture as he builds back up his lower body strength.

This opens the door for him to be a lethal pick-and-pop partner with dynamite downhill ball handlers flanking him in Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. As Oklahoma City loves to push the pace, his ability to hit trailing triples gives OKC an extra element to its offense.

Though the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft can do even more. Before he fractured his hip Holmgren showed a unique ability to play off the catch and get to the rim, which resulted in putting the opposition in foul trouble and the seven-footer at the free throw line.

Based on his shot diet, it is clear that adding a mid-range jumper is important to him. He has the work ethic and footwork to make that a lethal skill, enabling him to become a three-level scorer. Holmgren has flashed the spinning mid-rangers, the fadeaways, and the rise-up jumpers that make you buy into his ability to develop later in his career.

While the Thunder's rising star has dealt with two extreme injuries, his body of work in the NBA is simple. When freak accidents do not happen, he plays in 82 games. It is too early to tell where things level off for Holmgren, but this is not a player that has dealt with bumps and bruises despite his frame. It has been all-or-nothing in his career with a shocking hip fracture and a Lisfranc Fracture, two injuries hardly seen in the NBA.

His ceiling remains at an All-NBA level player, which is more than worth investing into after he played a key role in capturing Oklahoma City's first championship despite low offensive production.

Grade: A+