{"id":149487,"date":"2025-07-09T10:50:29","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T14:50:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=149487"},"modified":"2025-07-09T10:50:29","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T14:50:29","slug":"the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-of-chet-holmgrens-extension","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/07\/09\/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-of-chet-holmgrens-extension\/","title":{"rendered":"The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Of Chet Holmgren’s Extension"},"content":{"rendered":"

OKLAHOMA CITY<\/strong> \u2013 The Thunder<\/a> just made sure their young dynasty stays alive. Chet Holmgren’s<\/a> new extension<\/a> locks in the 7-foot-1 shot blocker for five more seasons through 2030-31, rewarding the center for anchoring Oklahoma City\u2019s title run. Holmgren missed three months with a hip injury but came back in February looking sharper than ever. He helped push the Thunder to their first NBA title since relocating to Oklahoma. The different implications of the extension are explained below.<\/p>\n

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Of Chet Holmgren’s Extension<\/h2>\n

The Good<\/h3>\n
\"Chet
Jun 19, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) shoots the ball defended by Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) and guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) in the third quarter during game six of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chet Holmgren’s extension makes perfect sense if you look at the numbers. He averaged 15 points, eight rebounds, and 2.2 blocks. His shooting split\u201449% overall and nearly 38% from deep\u2014made him one of the NBA\u2019s rare big men who can protect the rim and stretch the floor.<\/p>\n

When it mattered most, Holmgren delivered. His plus-minus (+169) led all players in the 2025 postseason. He blocked 11 shots in the Finals, including five in the decisive Game 7. That\u2019s the most by any player in a Finals Game 7 since the NBA made blocks official in 1974.<\/p>\n

Holmgren\u2019s defensive impact is historic. He contested 93% of shots as the closest defender and shut down layups and dunks better than anyone. The Thunder\u2019s top-ranked defense worked because Holmgren made the paint a no-fly zone.<\/p>\n

This Chet Holmgren extension means Thunder fans can keep dreaming big. Along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander\u2019s<\/a> fresh mega deal and Jalen Williams\u2019<\/a> talks moving fast, OKC\u2019s core stays together for years. The Thunder have learned their lesson after infamously trading away James Harden<\/a> to the Houston Rockets <\/a>the last time they had in promising core.<\/p>\n

The Bad<\/h3>\n

This bright future comes with a heavy cost. Chet Holmgren’s extension adds another max deal to an already pricey roster. The Thunder were always going to test the limits of the \u201cFun Max\u201d era\u2014a term for paying homegrown stars the most money they can earn. Usually, it’s done to keep the good vibes rolling. But now, Oklahoma City will smash through the second apron in two seasons.<\/p>\n

The new NBA labor rules punish overspending. Staying above the second apron for multiple years triggers brutal penalties\u2014like frozen picks and limited trade tools. By 2026-27, the Thunder could be forced to shed useful pieces to dodge these costs. Shai\u2019s new extension<\/a> plus Holmgren\u2019s big payday mean Sam Presti must make tough calls. Fans should savor this title window, because keeping everyone will become impossible soon enough.<\/p>\n

Holmgren’s extension proves the Thunder are all-in, but staying that way could break the bank fast.<\/p>\n

The Ugly<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The biggest challenge with any massive rookie deal is expectations. Holmgren has earned grace for injuries and streaky scoring before. Now, that grace disappears. Chet Holmgren’s extension pushes him into the top tax bracket\u2014literally and figuratively.<\/p>\n

As Bill Simmons says in The Book of Basketball<\/em>, big contracts bring the \u201cdisease of more.\u201d When stars get paid, they want more shots, more touches, more say. Will Holmgren stay content playing defense first? Or will he chase more points to match his paycheck?<\/p>\n

Holmgren\u2019s two-way play made him special. If the balance tilts too far toward offense, the Thunder\u2019s elite defense could slip. The weight of expectation is real now. Uncle Ben\u2019s lesson\u2014\u201cWith a huge contract comes great responsibility\u201d\u2014fits perfectly here. Yes, that’s exactly what he told Peter.<\/p>\n

Holmgren\u2019s talent is generational. But his extension means the days of calling him a developing piece are over. He must anchor this core every night and keep OKC in title mode. Anything less will feel like a letdown for a fanbase ready to hang more banners.<\/p>\n

Bottom Line<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Thunder did the right thing locking in Holmgren. But like every massive rookie extension, it comes with hidden risks. If Holmgren stays healthy, locks down the rim, and keeps his ego in check, Chet Holmgren’s extension will look like great value for the dollar. If injuries return or the disease of more creeps in, the Thunder\u2019s all-in bet might backfire. For now, though, fans can just enjoy the ride\u2014and dream of another parade down Harvey Avenue.<\/p>\n

OKLAHOMA CITY \u2013 The Thunder just made sure their young dynasty stays alive. Chet Holmgren’s new extension locks in the 7-foot-1 shot blocker for five more seasons through 2030-31, rewarding the center for anchoring Oklahoma City\u2019s title run. Holmgren missed three months with a hip injury but came back in February looking sharper than ever. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":149491,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,3,22],"tags":[50219,4292,4609,2113,4557,1489],"class_list":["post-149487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-news","category-thunder","tag-2025-nba-free-agents","tag-chet-holmgren","tag-jalen-williams","tag-nba-contract-extension","tag-nba-offseason","tag-shai-gilgeous-alexander"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=149487"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149487\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":149494,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149487\/revisions\/149494"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/149491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=149487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=149487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}