Thunder big man Chet Holmgren has agreed to a fully-guaranteed, five-year maximum rookie contract extension that could reach $250MM, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link).
Holmgren’s first-year salary under the extension is 25% of the projected $165MM salary cap, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.
The second pick of the 2022 draft, Holmgren has battled through injuries in his first three years as a pro but has excelled when on the court.
He didn’t play during the 2022/23 season due to a foot injury suffered during the offseason. He bounced back to start every game in the 2023/24 season, averaging 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks per game.
A pelvic fracture after taking a hard fall limited him to 32 regular-season games this past season. He posted averages of 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.2 blocks prior to the playoffs, then started all 23 postseason contests en route to the franchise’s first championship since moving to Oklahoma City. He averaged 15.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.9 blocks during the title run.
Holmgren joins league Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander among current OKC players to receive max extensions. The next order of business is to give star forward Jalen Williams a max contract of his own. He’s also eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.