Thunder, Chet Holmgren Agree to 5-Year Max Extension Worth Up to $250M

Thunder, Chet Holmgren Agree to 5-Year Max Extension Worth Up to $250M

Breaking news out of the NBA. The reigning champs Oklahoma City Thunder have locked up Chad Hongren to a 5-year max contract rookie extension that could pay him as much as $250 million. That’s according to ESPN. Homegrren just wrapped up his third proseason averaging 15 points and eight rebounds while winning that Larry OB in the process. It’s another big move for OKC who have now also signed the reigning MVP Shay Gilis Alexander to a 4-year $285 million extension. And looking at the past few years since Chad has been a member of the Thunder registered the most blocks ever in a game seven in the finals with five of them. He was on that all rookie first team in 2024. Remember of course he missed that very first year since he was drafted with the foot injury. averaged 16.1 just under eight boards and over two blocks per games in two seasons with OKC. So the money is flowing and we are flowing more with James Herbert tapped in with this and James first just your reaction to this deal and doing that max rookie contract extension. Yeah, I mean I think Chad Homegrren earned this uh the Thunder coming off a championship. He is already one of the best defensive big men in the NBA. And I think this is the Thunder betting on Homegrren’s talent and skills on the offensive end as well. I mean, this is a supremely talented offensive player. Um, there aren’t many guys his size that can do what he does with the ball and can also stretch the floor like Homegrren does. Um, I think their view on this, if they’re paying him this contract, is that he has the potential to be a perennial all-star type player. Yeah, when you look at it and you figure, okay, yeah, maybe he has that bag to become an all-star, but durability-wise, he’s played in only 40% of his game since coming in to the league as that number two overall pick back in 2022. So, as it stands now with Homegrren, do you feel like there’s durability concerns? It’s definitely a concern. I mean, you don’t like that that 40% number uh that you mentioned, but evidently the Thunder were not too concerned about that to make this kind of investment in him. I mean, I I think they look at how he’s worked back from those injuries, how quickly he’s kind of integrated himself into the team. Even this year, like it was a complicated season um for Chad Homegrren in that he missed so much time and that he had to learn sort of a new position with Isaiah Hartenstein on the floor with him and them not really having much time at all during the regular season to figure out how to work together. I was really impressed um with how the Thunder kind of adapted to playing completely different styles. sometimes with Chad as the lone big man, a lot of the time with Isaiah Hardinstein as the lone big man and then a totally different look um with the two of those guys playing together. But again, I think this is a bet on Homegrren’s talent when he is healthy. Um the fact that they can take this 7 foot one guy and sort of play him like a wing offensively, which was what they did um especially with Hardenstein on the floor this year, that tells you what the upside that they see in him. Yeah, Chad may be just now starting to reach the surface of what his potential is. And now he’s under contract. SGA is under contract with his new deal. That’s two of OKC’s big three who have now signed, sealed, and been delivered. Next up is Jd Dub. Where does this leave him? Yeah, I would be surprised if JDub does not also sign um basically the same extension as Homegrren did at at some point this off season. Um, look, he is already um a an all-star caliber two-way player. Um, you saw him drop 40 in the finals. I mean, he played through injury. We’re only learning just now the the extent of it, right? I mean, Sam Prey mentioned it um in his end of season press conference. Um, JDub himself put out a video, I believe yesterday, um, kind of detailing exactly what what he was going through. I mean, the Thunder love their young core. Uh so it would shock me if they didn’t come to um effectively the same conclusion um with JDub that that he was worth um paying as much as they’re allowed to under the constraints of the salary cap. So then if we give 40 to JDub, 40 to C, 40 to SGA, that’s 120 million there. How do you figure this out later on down the road for other pieces if you want to sign them? I’m thinking Isaiah Hartenstein. I’m thinking Lou Door or just constructing a team in today’s landscape with all that money being given to three guys. Yeah. Well, the Thunder in an unprecedented position in that they are this young, this good, and also have this much financial flexibility in the future. Um, when you look at some of the contracts that they’ve signed, they they’ve signed descending deals. Um, they’ve signed deals um with guys where they’ve frontloaded the contracts. Um, they’re in interesting spot, right? Because every team that has the these high paid players at the top of their payroll, they’re going to have to figure out kind of, you know, ways to tweak things around the edges. And I think the Thunder, you know, they are going to have to change some of their role players in the coming years. They’re not at that point yet. Like these extensions all have to kick in um for that to really matter. So I don’t anticipate the team looking much different next year. In fact, if anything, it’ll be better. I mean, they’re going to have Topic on the roster. that to the guy they drafted in the lottery last year that was hurt the entire season. He’s playing in summer league right now. Um, but as they move forward, I mean, they’re going to have to use some of the draft capital that they have to make other trades, make other moves. But I think Sam Prey has just done an incredible job setting them up with um a bunch of really good contracts that are going to have a lot of trade value and kind of building in outs like whether it’s team options um whether it’s drafting guys that could potentially um replace others on the roster. Um they drafted a big man Thomas Sorber um this year that I mean if they have to lose say Isaiah Hartenstein in the coming years could just slot in there as a center. We’ll see how all of that develops. Um, but I do believe Oklahoma City has taken the new CBA into account when making all the various different moves that they’ve made over the past few years. Yeah, certainly sounds good in theory. We’ll see how it translates to actually winning games out there on the court and if Sam prestige can do it again and construct another winner. James Herbert, thank you so much. talking all things NBA when it comes to the Thunder and all the new money headed over to the way of Cadet Homegrren and the money is just flowing for that big three in terms of SGA and Chad Hong which leads you to think okay JD Dub should be next just 6.6 six mills what he’s due 2025 2026 after that restricted free agent. So he could be on the way to getting a payday as well in OKC.

James Herbert joins CBS Sports HQ to break down the news surrounding Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren.

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