Thunder predicted to trade Chet Holmgren for No. 3 pick, NBA champion in Draft-Day blockbuster

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s season came to an end on Saturday night when they lost Game 7 to the San Antonio Spurs. A major storyline from the series was that Chet Holmgren did not appear to take the same types of shots he normally does.

After the series concluded, several people were asked about Holmgren’s production. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault made it very clear that OKC is better with Holmgren.

“Every minute Chet Holmgren’s been on the team, we’ve been the 1 seed in the Western Conference,” Daigneault said Sunday, when the team gathered for end-of-season meetings. “And it wasn’t the case before Chet was healthy.”

During their exit press conferences Sunday, Holmgren met with the media to assess his season. Of course, he was asked about his performance and struggles during the series. Holmgren felt he was not as aggressive as he normally is.

“I have to dive into the tape to understand the specifics of it, but a part of it, I was getting closed out heavily and just being out of rhythm at times. I feel like there were definitely opportunities to get more attempts up that I didn't in the moment. That's an area to improve," Holmgren said.

The Thunder are expected to be aggressive during the NBA Draft this offseason, with two first-round picks in hand. A mock draft-night trade has Oklahoma City sending Holmgren to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for the No. 3 pick and additional assets.

“A legal trade framework the Thunder can execute on draft night to trade up for a top prospect: OKC receives: Cam Boozer (No. 3 overall), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Santi Aldama. Grizzlies receive: Chet Holmgren, Nos. 12 + 17 overall, Future 1st-round picks,” Sidery posted.

This would be a massive trade for the Thunder to consider, though it would be driven in part by Oklahoma City’s need to manage its financial situation this offseason. Boozer would be an intriguing fit in OKC and would have time to develop within their system.

The Grizzlies would receive two first-round picks, which would be significant for their rebuild. The Thunder would also add veteran pieces in Caldwell-Pope and Aldama. Oklahoma City would have to weigh the decision carefully, but it could also open up flexibility this offseason to make additional moves and retain key pieces within the organization.

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