The Golden State Warriors will likely cast their net wide monitoring potential trade targets entering the season, including keeping an eye on the Oklahoma City Thunder and big man Chet Holmgren after a disappointing playoff campaign.
Holmgren averaged a career-high 17.1 points and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year last season, but he averaged less than 11 points in the Western Conference Finals as the Thunder were eliminated in a thrilling seven-game series by the San Antonio Spurs.
Warriors urged to monitor Chet Holmgren as potential trade target
Holmgren's playoff failure coincides with the start of a five-year, $239.2 million max contract, and there's already been some speculation over whether the 24-year-old will become the first really notable victim of the Thunder's financial squeeze going forward.
Oklahoma City have already moved on from championship trio Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe this offseason, but still face long-term financial questions marks. That's prompted Marcus Thompson of The Athletic to pinpoint Holmgren and star forward Jalen Williams as players Golden State should be focusing on as the season gets underway.
“They got to be paying attention to and monitoring, pay attention to what's happened in OKC...What happens if Chet Holmgren bombs out?" Thompson said on the Warriors Plus Minus podcast.“I mean, that's where I'm thinking they should be scouring.”
Both players would be excellent additions for the Warriors or any rival team, albeit they still come with their respective risks. There's genuine debate on whether Holmgren is worth nearly $50 million after what we saw in the playoffs, while Williams has dealt with multiple hamstring injuries that kept him to just 33 regular season games during last campaign.
Chet Holmgren is more realistic target than Jalen Williams
There appears a far greater chance of Golden State getting their hands on Holmgren over Williams. Not only is the latter arguably a more accomplished player at this stage of their careers, but Oklahoma City have far more depth in their big man department compared to the wings.
Holmgren's future may not only be dictated by his own performances early in the season, but also the development of recent lottery picks Thomas Sorber and Aday Mara. If one or both of that duo prove capable of playing reasonable rotation minutes early in their career, perhaps the Thunder may be more willing to consider a Holmgren trade.
Despite his disappointing finish in the playoffs, a team like the Warriors would still talk themselves into a player like Holmgren, particularly given they'd be able to offer him more offensive opportunity than what he currently sees with the Thunder.
As a 24-year-old, Holmgren is just the type of player Golden State should be targeting as someone who can contribute immensely in the short-term, while also providing a major building block to their post Stephen Curry future.
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