Chet Holmgren entered the Western Conference Finals viewed as Oklahoma City’s core. After the Thunder missed the Finals, that certainty has been tested.
The big man averaged 10.7 points and 7.1 rebounds against San Antonio, numbers that sharpened criticism of his aggression.
Kendrick Perkins, a 2008 NBA champion, former Thunder center and ESPN analyst, weighed in on Holmgren’s future while speaking on ESPN’s First Take this Monday.
Kendrick Perkins gives blunt Chet Holmgren trade verdict
Perkins said Oklahoma City should move fast and trade Holmgren after his lack of impact in the Western Conference Finals.
He stated: “I would trade him before the draft. And again, it’s not what he did. It’s how he did it, right? Again, not being aggressive in a Game 7 on your home floor is one thing, not trying to attack the basket and not trying to shoot the rock is another. But the way that you got punked, the way that they snatch your soul… And this wasn’t just a Wemby thing.
“So what San Antonio did all series long was: Chet was guarded by a smaller guy. We got a clip that showed a video, I believe it was Vassell, blocking his shot in Game 6 and talking a whole lot of noise to him.
“This is a guy that is smaller than you. We can pull up countless videos and show the times that Chet Holmgren was getting bodied and put in the basket by smaller guys.”
Perkins ended by questioning Holmgren’s response. “Is one thing not to show up and say, ‘You know what? At least he went down swinging.’ But he didn’t swing a punch. That shows no heart whatsoever. And the one thing that Oklahoma City is not, one word we could never put on them, is soft.”
Despite Perkins’s harsh verdict, there is no indication Holmgren will leave Oklahoma City soon. He is still well regarded by teammates and his coach Mark Daigneault.
On the other hand, the Thunder already got involved in speculations regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo and Evan Mobley again.
