Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse for the Oklahoma City thunder, star Chet Holmgren is just the latest player to be sidelined. Holmgren being ruled out for 8 to 10 weeks is just the latest gut punch for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
They are already without Jalen Williams in Cason Wallace, potentially for the remainder of this season. Now, they will be without arguably their second best player for up to two and a half months.
Although the Thunder are among the deepest teams in the NBA, they have likely reached the limit of that depth with them missing three starters for a massive chunk of the season.
That will force them to dig deeper into their bench and try and weather a increasingly brutal injury storm. It also could push them to make a big trade sooner rather than later.
The Oklahoma City Thunder can't afford to wait to make a big trade
They can't afford to give it a month and see how things look when they without Holmgren, Williams, and Wallace. Those are their three best defensive players and they also account for 55 points per game. That puts more pressure on two time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The last thing the Thunder needs is to run him into the ground trying to keep them afloat. Yes, he will have to play more minutes and score more, but the Thunder are sitting on a treasure trove of picks.
They must trade for reinforcements now to help right the ship. I have previously mentioned them trading for New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones. He is a talented defensive wing who is being underutilized on a struggling Pelicans team.
The Thunder must trade for a stopgap frontcourt option
Given that the Thunder are in the second apron, they have to be careful about not taking back massive salaries. However, he's making less than $13 million this season and would fit into their injured player exception.
Another option might include Dallas Mavericks forward PJ Washington. He's a versatile defender and a reliable shooter. He'd cost more than the injured player exception, but the Thunder have a tradable salary that could make a potential deal happen.
Ultimately, with Holmgren out for at least two months, the Thunder can't afford to be patient and must make a trade to solve their injury problems.
Add us as a preferred source on Google