Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder will not be repeating as NBA Champions. Of course, they lost Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals to the San Antonio Spurs by the score of 111-103. Now, they will set out on an off-season that will hopefully improve their roster enough to make it back to the Finals next season.
In order to do that, though, they are going to have to find an answer for Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama, who dominated the series, even in San Antonio’s losses.
Immediately following the loss, many Thunder fans suggested that Oklahoma City trade for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, Holmgren’s own poor performance in Game Seven may have torpedoed that notion.
The Oklahoma City Thunder may not be able to trade Chet Holmgren for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo is a two-time NBA MVP and 10-time NBA All-Star who is believed to be ready to move on from the Milwaukee Bucks, with whom he won a championship in 2021. He spent most of the 2025-26 NBA season injured, and was reportedly upset that the Bucks would not clear him to play later in the year.
Obviously, there are numerous teams that would be interested in trading for Giannis should he really be on the trading block. However, none of them can match the number of draft picks that the Thunder could offer Milwaukee in return for their franchise cornerstone.
That being said, Oklahoma City would have to send a player or players along with draft compensation to the Bucks in order to make the trade work. Before Game Seven, many believed Holmgren could have been a player Milwaukee could have been interested.
But in Game Seven, Holmgren scored just four points and took just two shots all game long. Such a pitiful showing tanked his trade value, as the Bucks cannot count on him showing up in big moments or important games.
It’s a shame as Holmgren did not have a bad season, per say. He averaged 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game in 2025-26. Additionally, he came in second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, made his first career NBA All-Star team, and was named First Team All Defense, and made the Third Team All-NBA.
Undoubtedly, Giannis would play well alongside Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. However, after Game Seven, Holmgren’s trade value is not as high. The 2026-27 NBA season will see his contract extension kick in, a five-year $239.5 million fully guaranteed deal that will pay him over $47 million a year.
