Holmgren on the Thunder’s offseason moves: “It’s the ruthless side of the NBA”

Caught between the challenges of the new collective bargaining agreement and the looming threat of the second apron, the Oklahoma City Thunder spent the offseason walking a financial tightrope. To avoid a skyrocketing luxury tax bill without dismantling the core of the roster, GM Sam Presti pulled off another masterful move – but only by making painful sacrifices.

The casualties were the team’s “middle class,” the players who helped deliver the 2025 championship. Valuable rotation pieces such as Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe were traded away and removed from the roster in an effort to create financial flexibility.

It was a ruthless decision that hurt both the fan base and the locker room while putting added pressure on the Nuggets and Spurs. Speaking with ESPN during a charity event in California, Thunder big man Chet Holmgren did not hide his disappointment over losing his former teammates:

Seeing them leave was incredibly tough. It’s exactly like losing a member of your family. But that’s the ruthless side of this business. No group of 17 players stays together forever, even though that doesn’t make it hurt any less. At the same time, I’m happy for Lu (Dort) and Aaron (Wiggins) and the great opportunity waiting for them in Atlanta. I have complete trust in our front office. I know every move is made with the goal of making this team better

Chet Holmgren

Beyond the emotional impact of the offseason moves, Holmgren also reflected on the painful loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 Western Conference Finals, a setback that came just one year after the thrill of winning the championship.

The lessons we learned this year were the same ones we learned in 2025 – or rather, they reminded us just how incredibly difficult it is to reach the top and how much work it takes. There are no guarantees in this sport. You can pour everything you have into it for months and still come away empty-handed. You have to accept that the process of getting better doesn’t guarantee the final result. Falling short this year hasn’t changed our mindset one bit

Chet Holmgren

For the Thunder, the departure of locker-room pillars like Dort and Wiggins marks the beginning of a more mature yet equally ambitious chapter. The road to bringing another championship to Oklahoma City may feature fewer familiar faces, but with Holmgren determined to become an even stronger emotional and on-court leader, the franchise intends to turn its playoff scars into fuel for the upcoming season.