OKC Thunder GM Remains Confident in Chet Holmgren Ahead of 2026-27 Season

Sam Presti has no worries about his star big man after a rough conference finals.

Apr 27, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) against the Phoenix Suns during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma City is getting set for another season, and it still has full confidence in its star big man.

Over the offseason, the Thunder made some changes that will shake up the rotation going into the 2026-27 campaign. After those moves and how the Thunder ended last season, there will be no shortage of questions surrounding the team when the new year tips off.

Among the biggest questions the Thunder will have to answer is how Chet Holmgren will look after his poor performance in the Western Conference Finals. It’s no secret that he was nowhere near his All-Star level against the Spurs back in May, but Thunder GM Sam Presti isn’t too worried about his All-NBA big.

“Chet needs no motivation,” Presti said. “Like, of everybody, this is a person that is an ultra competitor, and you don't see that just in on-court, but his preparation, his planning, his mindset for those things is elite.

“You don't have a season like the one he had last year where he's second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, he's a first-time All-Star, he's an All-NBA player, he's anchoring the best defense in the league, and that was coming off winning the championship.”

Presti’s sentiments at his preseason press conference on Thursday echo much of what he and others within the organization said after the team’s exit in the spring. It’s no surprise that Oklahoma City’s confidence in Holmgren has remained steady after he was a massive part of bringing the city and franchise its first championship just 15 months ago.

Last season, Holmgren had the best year of his young career, averaging 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks. He also had an incredibly efficient start to the postseason, putting up 18.6 points and 9.1 rebounds a night while shooting a ridiculous 70.3% from two-point range across the first two rounds.

Of course, things came crashing down in the conference finals, but Holmgren displayed how well he can play in the playoffs, and building off of that is just as important as shaking off his Spurs series. Considering how young Holmgren is, there’s no doubt in Oklahoma City about his ability to grow from here, and Presti understands exactly where his star big and his team is going into next season.

“We have three guys, two of which are not even in their prime, that are All-NBA players, and also the other guy that's a back-to-back MVP, and he's only getting better as well in his prime,” Presti said. “Chet is going to get better for many, many years from here.”