Chet Holmgren Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Thunder Notes: Holmgren, SGA, Wallace, Mitchell

October 26th, 2025 at 11:04am CST by Rory Maher

Thunder big man Chet Holmgren entered Saturday’s game with a questionable tag due to lower back soreness before being upgraded to available. And after a hot start in Atlanta in which he scored 14 first-quarter points, Holmgren suffered a dislocated thumb in the second quarter on a failed block attempt, writes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (subscriber link).

According to Martinez, Holmgren wanted to pop the injured digit into place himself and return to the game, but the team insisted he needed to undergo X-rays. The 23-year-old wound up having a big night once he was medically cleared to resume playing, finishing with 31 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and a block in 27 minutes.

“He’s always got that,” head coach Mark Daigneault said of Holmgren’s toughness. “He’s always ready to go. Great competitor. … He came out tonight teeing up those shots and saw a couple go in. He had a great game flow tonight.”

Reigning NBA MVP and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander believes Holmgren, who signed a rookie scale max extension this offseason, is primed for a huge year.

“He’s stronger, faster and more explosive,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, per Martinez. “He’s just getting more comfortable. With a guy with his natural feel, as the games go on, he’ll continue to grow and be better. We’ve just got to continue to ignite him as teammates.”

Here’s more on the defending champions:

After double-overtime thrillers against Houston and Indiana resulted in Gilgeous-Alexander playing a combined 93 minutes, the superstar guard got some much-needed rest on Saturday, according to Martinez (subscription required). Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 30 points, five rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes, and was able to sit out the entire fourth quarter with the Thunder firmly in control of their third straight victory. “It’s the gauntlet of the NBA season,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You never know what to expect. In the summertime, you try to prepare for the worst in terms of load-wise, and I think we’ve done a great job of being ready for the start of the season. We’ve had some pop for these first three games despite having a few double-overtime games.”
Thunder guard Cason Wallace, who was competing against his older brother Keaton Wallace, did an admirable job slowing down Hawks star Trae Young, Martinez adds in the same story. Young finished with 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting, Martinez notes. “He’s just got unbelievable hands, athleticism, toughness and a combination of things,” Daigneault said of Cason. “He seems to be a dude who, when he’s near the ball, he comes up with it. … He’s the guy at the bottom of a pile who’s gonna get the fumble and come up with the football.”
Ajay Mitchell is off to an excellent start to the season, averaging 18.7 points, 4.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 steal on .467/.417/1.000 shooting through three games (27.0 MPG). As Martinez writes for The Oklahoman (subscriber link), Mitchell poured in a career-high 26 points in Thursday’s win, which was particularly meaningful for the second-year guard, as it occurred on his late grandmother’s birthday. “She was very important (to me),” Mitchell said of his grandmother, who passed away in February. “She was always there for me. She was definitely on my mind this whole night. … I’m glad I got to play that way for her. She means the world to me, so I’m glad I did that.”

And-Ones: Core Trios, MVP, Hayward, NBA App

October 15th, 2025 at 11:04am CST by Rory Maher

Tim Bontemps of ESPN ranks the core trios of every NBA team based on their current and future value. Unsurprisingly, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren of the defending champion Thunder sit atop Bontemps’ tiered list, followed by the Nuggets trio of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.

Bontemps’ final tier (“rebuilding”) is comprised of the Nets (Nic Claxton, Egor Demin, Nolan Traore), Trail Blazers (Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe), Jazz (Ace Bailey, Walter Clayton, Lauri Markkanen), and Wizards (Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson, Alex Sarr).

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Using six categories (narrative score, expected ridiculous stats score, team quality score, clutch score, player impact score, and perceived value score), Zach Harper of The Athletic takes a stab at predicting who will win the NBA’s MVP award in 2025/26. Jokic, who was the runner-up last season, earns the most points (55/60), followed by reigning MVP Gilgeous-Alexander (50/60) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (50/60), who finished third in voting last season. However, Harper’s “gut” says Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (45/60) will claim his first MVP.
Former NBA All-Star Gordon Hayward, who retired last summer after a 14-year career in the league, is returning to his alma mater in a new role. According to a Butler press release written by John Dedman, Hayward will be an executive basketball advisor for the Bulldogs’ men’s basketball program. In addition to advising in multiple areas, Hayward will also serve as a mentor to student-athletes, with a focus on leadership and professional development.
The NBA announced in a press release that it has launched a new multi-platform streaming offering as well as the “reimagined” NBA TV, both of which can be accessed via the NBA App. There’s also a new flagship program on NBA TV and the NBA App called “The Association,” which features MJ Acosta-Ruiz, David Fizdale, Rudy Gay, Chris Haynes and John Wall, among others.

Northwest Notes: Bailey, Blazers, Thunder, Nuggets

September 26th, 2025 at 8:43am CST by Luke Adams

Jazz rookie Ace Bailey has decided to part ways with manager Omar Cooper and is seeking new representation, reports Tony Jones of The Athletic. League sources tell Jones that Bailey and his camp have interviewed potential reps but haven’t yet made a decision on who they’ll hire.

Cooper made waves during the pre-draft process by discouraging Bailey from visiting with or working out for any teams with picks in the top five. The widespread belief, as Jones writes, was that Cooper was trying to steer his client to the Wizards at No. 6, but Utah ultimately drafted him one spot before that.

Cooper is the father of guard Sharife Cooper, who signed a two-way contract with Washington last week.

Here are a few more items of interest form around the Northwest:

RAJ Sports, a company run by the Bhatal family that reportedly made a bid to buy the Trail Blazers, has filed a lawsuit against the Cherng family, which joined Tom Dundon‘s prospective Blazers ownership group earlier this month. Jason Quick and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic have the details on the suit, which was first reported by Law360.com. RAJ Sports is claiming that the Cherngs – who own Panda Express – breached an exclusivity agreement and has asked a judge to stop them from buying a stake in the Blazers.
Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman passes along some highlights from Sam Presti‘s preseason press conference following a Thunder offseason highlighted by continuity. Presti preached patience when it comes to Nikola Topic‘s integration into the rotation, expressed confidence that Chet Holmgren will “only be better,” and said rookie big man Thomas Sorber was “playing great” before suffering a season-ending ACL tear. “It’s a really tough situation, but he’s got the right mindset. He’s got great natural energy,” Presti said of the 15th overall pick. “He’s going to get something out of this year, 100 percent, and I think it’ll position him well going into next season. But it’s certainly disappointing.”
Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required) explores what the Nuggets‘ depth chart might look like in 2025/26. While the starters – Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic – seem pretty clear, there could be some spots up for grabs on the second unit, including at point guard, where Bruce Brown projects to be Murray’s backup, and at the forward spots.
The Oklahoma City Blue and Grand Rapids Gold – the Thunder‘s and Nuggets‘ G League affiliates, respectively – completed a trade sending the returning rights to Justyn Hamilton to the Gold in exchange for the returning rights to Andrew Funk and a 2026 second-round pick, tweets Rylan Stiles of SI.com. The deal could be a precursor to Hamilton signing an Exhibit 10 contract with Denver and/or Funk signing one with Oklahoma City.

Northwest Notes: Daigneault, Holmgren, Trail Blazers Sale

August 27th, 2025 at 10:49pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Champion Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault is building a team culture that will help Oklahoma City thrive long-term, Rylan Stiles of Thunder On SI opines.

Daigneault got his start as the head coach of the club’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, in 2014. He served as an assistant coach under Billy Donovan first in 2016, and again during Donovan’s final season with the Thunder, 2019/20. Daigneault was then elevated to the head coaching role the subsequent season.

After the team missed the postseason while strategically tanking from 2020-22, Daigneault helped the young Thunder post a 40-42 record in 2022/23 and make the play-in tournament. Oklahoma City has notched the best record in the Western Conference for each of the past two seasons. Daigneault was named the league’s Coach of the Year with the 57-25 Thunder in 2023/24, and won a title with the 68-14 club this past June.

Stiles observes that Daigneault’s Thunder players can often be heard parroting many of his strategic talking points and suggests that’s a positive indicator of their commitment to his approach.

There’s more out of the Northwest:

Rising Thunder big man Chet Holmgren agreed to a five-year, maximum rookie-scale extension this summer. The deal is projected to be worth around $240MM. Stiles observes that Oklahoma City has everything it needs to help Holmgren reach another level on offense. The 7’1″ center out of Gonzaga has struggled with significant health challenges during his nascent pro career, having missed all of what would have been his rookie season in 2022/23 with a foot ailment and sitting out 50 regular season bouts in 2024/25 due to a pelvic fracture. In the 32 regular season games he did play last year, Holmgren averaged 15.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.2 BPG, 2.0 APG and 0.7 SPG.
A group led by Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon has reportedly agreed to purchase controlling ownership of the Trail Blazers for $4.25 billion. Dundon and the Paul Allen estate are hoping to finalize an agreement in September, according to Matthew Kish and Bill Oram of The Oregonian, who take a closer look at the next steps in the process and what to expect from the new owners. It is anticipated that Dundon will be the biggest shareholder involved, but he’ll also be joined by Blue Owl Capital co-president Marc Zahr and Collective Global Management CEO Sheel Tyle. Tyle is based in Portland.
In case you missed it, the Timberwolves are reportedly considering a potential reunion with free agent sharpshooter Malik Beasley.

Contract Details: Anthony, JJJ, Holmgren, J. Williams, Gafford

July 15th, 2025 at 10:55am CST by Luke Adams

Cole Anthony, whose previous cap hit had been $13.1MM, gave up exactly $2MM as part of his buyout agreement with the Grizzlies, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. Memphis subsequently used the stretch provision to spread the $11.1MM still owed to Anthony across three seasons, resulting in annual cap hits of $3.7MM through 2027/28.

The move reduced Anthony’s 2025/26 cap charge by $9.4MM, generating the cap room necessary to renegotiate Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s ’25/26 salary from roughly $23.4MM up to $35MM, as Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron tweets. That allowed the Grizzlies to give Jackson a $49MM salary (ie. a 40% raise) in the first year of his new extension, which increases to $50.5MM in 2027/28 and $52MM in ’28/29, with a $53.5MM player option for ’29/30.

Jackson is now owed exactly $240MM over the next five seasons, having received approximately $216.6MM in new money in his agreement with Memphis.

Here are a few more details on contracts from around the NBA:

Chet Holmgren‘s new five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension with the Thunder doesn’t include Rose Rule language, but Jalen Williams‘ five-year max extension does, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks at Sports Business Classroom. According to Marks, Williams’ deal will start at 30% of the 2026/27 salary cap if he wins MVP, is named Defensive Player of the Year, or makes the All-NBA first team next season. If he makes the All-NBA second team, it would start at 27% of the cap, while a spot on the All-NBA third team would result in a starting salary at 26%. No All-NBA berth, MVP, or DPOY for Williams would result in a salary worth 25% of next year’s cap, matching Holmgren’s deal.
As expected, the terms of Daniel Gafford‘s new three-year veteran extension with the Mavericks are the maximum the team could have given the big man while maintaining his trade eligibility, tweets Marc Stein. Gafford got a 20% raise for 2026/27 to $17,263,584, with 5% annual raises for the next two seasons. The new three-year contract is worth a total of $54.38MM, on top of the $14.39MM he’ll make in 2025/26.
Rockets forward Jeff Green, Spurs guard Jordan McLaughlin, and Bucks wing Gary Trent Jr. have joined the list of players who waived their right to veto a trade in 2025/26 when they re-signed with their respective teams, Hoops Rumors has learned. A player who signs a new one-year deal (or two-year deal with a second-year option) with his previous team typically gets trade veto rights for that season, but those can be forfeited as part of the contract agreement.

Thunder Sign Chet Holmgren To Five-Year Max Extension

July 13th, 2025 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

July 13: The Holmgren extension has been made official, per a press release from the Thunder.

July 9: Thunder big man Chet Holmgren has agreed to a fully-guaranteed, five-year maximum rookie contract extension, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link).

Holmgren’s first-year salary under the extension will start at 25% of the 2026/27 salary cap, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. Based on the NBA’s latest cap projection, that would work out to a five-year, $240MM deal.

The second pick of the 2022 draft, Holmgren has battled through injuries in his first three years as a pro but has excelled during his time on the court.

After not playing at all during the 2022/23 season due to a foot injury suffered during the offseason, Holmgren 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 night.

A pelvic fracture limited Holmgren 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.

While we’ll wait for the official details to confirm, it doesn’t sound as if Holmgren’s deal will include Rose Rule language that could increase the value of that first year beyond 25% of the cap if he makes an All-NBA team, wins Defensive Player of the Year, or is named MVP.

Charania’s report does say the value of the extension could reach $250MM, which would exceed the projected value of a standard 25% max deal even if the cap rises by the maximum allowable 10% next year (it’d be worth $246.6MM in that scenario). However, that may just be a case of generously rounding up.

Northwest Notes: Boozer, Bradley, OKC, Timberwolves

June 25th, 2025 at 10:40am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Jazz‘s reconfigured front office is leaning on former Utah forward Carlos Boozer and former longtime NBA guard Avery Bradley to help prep for Wednesday and Thursday’s NBA draft, observes Tony Jones of The Athletic.

“This place has really transformed,” Boozer told Jones. “But, I want to do my part to build this team back up to being a contender, because that’s where this franchise belongs. I love this fan base and this town. It reminds me of my hometown in Alaska. So, this has been a huge honor, and it’s brought back so many memories.”

As Jones notes, both Boozer and Bradley know something about being under-the-radar draft gems.

“I think having the perspective of being a player is helpful,” Bradley said. “Seeing players that could model and resemble some of the players that we’ve played with and have been in locker rooms with helps. What Carlos and I have wanted to do is help Austin (Ainge) and Justin (Zanik) and Danny (Ainge) in the process.”

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

After claiming their first title together on Sunday, the Thunder’s new big three of MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-NBA wing Jalen Williams, and big man Chet Holmgren could form the core of a new dynasty, posits Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “These guys represent all that’s good at a young age,” longtime Oklahoma City president Sam Presti said. “They prioritize winning, they prioritize sacrifice, and it just kind of unfolded very quickly…. Age is a number. Sacrifice and maturity is a characteristic, and these guys have it in spades.”
With the Timberwolves’ sale officially approved by the league, now-former majority owners Glen and Becky Taylor have penned a thank-you message to Minnesota fans, via a Timberwolves press release. Taylor leaves the Timberwolves in a good place, with the club anchored by All-NBA superstar guard Anthony Edwards and fresh off two straight Western Conference Finals appearances. “Though we are stepping away as owners, our love for this organization and this community remains as strong as ever,” the Taylors write. “We will always be fans, cheering from our seats, celebrating your triumphs, and believing in what comes next.”
Incoming new Timberwolves owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez spoke to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic about their vision for the franchise moving forward. “Let’s make it very clear,” Rodriguez said. “Marc and I are not making basketball decisions… What we’ve learned is some of the best governors throughout sports, they spend most of their time in the front end hiring the right people. … We give them guidelines, we give them budgets, and then Tim (Connelly) can cook. And then we stay out of his way. That’s also really important.”

Thunder Notes: Dynasty Talk, Caruso, Holmgren, Dort

June 23rd, 2025 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

As Oklahoma City celebrated its first-ever NBA title Sunday night, speculation began about how many more this version of the Thunder might be able to get, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The Game 7 win over Indiana made OKC the second-youngest champion in NBA history, and Reynolds points out that the organization is set up very well for the future.

The Thunder are built around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who completed the rare feat of winning MVP, Finals MVP and a scoring title in the same season. SGA and just about other every important player on the roster are under contract for next season, and rookie scale extensions are looming for Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. Oklahoma City has a treasure trove of draft assets, including the No. 15 and 24 picks this year, along with Nikola Topic, a 2024 lottery pick who sat out the entire season due to injury.

“We definitely still have room to grow,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That’s the fun part of this. So many of us can still get better. There’s not very many of us on the team that are in our prime or even close to it. We have a lot to grow, individually and as a group. I’m excited for the future of this team. This is a great start, for sure.”

In addition, the Thunder have a calm, steady leader in Mark Daigneault, who now has an NBA title and a Coach of the Year award five years into his head coaching career. Reynolds notes that general manager Sam Presti and owner Clay Bennett rarely speak to the media, so Daigneault serves as the voice of the franchise.

“There’s no guarantee you end it the way that we did,” Daigneault said. “I just wanted it so bad for them. I was just so thrilled that we were able to get that done and they get to experience this because they deserve it. The way they approach it, the professionalism, competitiveness, team-first nature, like I said, I wanted it so bad for them.”

There’s more from Oklahoma City:

An offseason trade for Alex Caruso added to the Thunder’s collection of elite defenders, notes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Caruso’s versatility and his willingness to do things that aren’t glamorous made him an indispensable part of the championship run. “I think just through my career, I figured out that I can do stuff that’s not necessarily sexy or not necessarily the mainstream offensive or even defensive skill set that people recognize,” Caruso said. “I just leaned into it. I practiced being great at the stuff that nobody else does, carving a role for myself in the league. I think through the years, I’ve just kind of perfected that stuff.”
Holmgren set a record Sunday night by blocking five shots, the most ever in an NBA Finals Game 7 since blocks began being recorded in 1973/74, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. It was a satisfying conclusion for Holmgren, who missed more than half of the regular season due to a hip injury. “Honestly, I never really play for records,” he said. “I never play for stats. All that will be forgotten. But us winning is forever. It’s immortal. I’m just so happy we were able to do that together as a team.”
Luguentz Dort would normally be a strong extension candidate, but it won’t be an easy decision for the Thunder, who already have extension decisions to make on Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren and Williams, Bobby Marks of ESPN writes in his offseason guide. Marks also expects OKC to aggressively look for trades involving its two first-round picks and one second-rounder in Wednesday’s draft.

Thunder Win First Championship Since Move; SGA Named Finals MVP

June 22nd, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Thunder claimed their first NBA championship since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City, as they defeated the depleted Pacers, 103-91, in Game 7 on Sunday.

Seattle, which won the championship in 1979, relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008. The Pacers, who have never won an NBA title, played the last three quarters without Tyrese Haliburton, who suffered an Achilles injury in the first quarter.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, this season’s Most Valuable Player, also earned Finals MVP honors, the league announced (via Twitter). It’s the 16th time a player has won both in the same year, though it hasn’t happened since LeBron James pulled it off during the 2012/13 season.

The Thunder should be major contenders for years to come with their young core, featuring Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. The top priorities for the Thunder this offseason center around extensions.

Gilgeous-Alexander has met the performance criteria for a super-max contract and will become eligible to sign that extension next month. The 2024 MVP runner-up still has two years left on his current deal and can’t exceed six years in total, so the maximum value of his extension would be a projected $293.4MM over four years, beginning in 2027/28.

Williams and Holmgren are eligible for rookie scale extensions until the beginning of next seasons and both could receive the max – five years and a projected $246MM. The maximum value of those extensions could increase to a projected $296MM if All-NBA, MVP or Defensive Player of the Year honors are negotiated into the contracts.

The Pacers’ offseason outlook could change dramatically due to Haliburton’s injury. Myles Turner, their starting center, is headed to unrestricted free agency and while the Pacers reportedly want to re-sign him, they could have plenty of competition. Bennedict Mathurin is eligible for a rookie scale extension.

Several other key players, including Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, are signed through at least the 2027/28 season. Could they look to shed salary in light of Haliburton’s injury?

With the NBA Finals decided, the 2025 NBA offseason is officially underway. For the second straight year, teams will be permitted to negotiate contracts with their own free agents one day after the Finals. Players who won’t be free agents this offseason but who will become eligible to sign contract extensions on July 6 will also be permitted to begin negotiations with their current teams on Monday.

Thus, it wouldn’t be surprising if some agreements are reported this week. Free agent contracts still can’t be officially finalized until after the July moratorium lifts on July 6.

The draft will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, with free agency beginning on June 30 at 6 p.m. Eastern time.

Thunder Notes: SGA, Caruso, Williams, Holmgren, Game 2 Adjustments

June 9th, 2025 at 8:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander set a record for the most combined points by a player in his first two NBA Finals games as the Thunder defeated Indiana to even their series at 1-1, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. After taking 30 shots to reach 38 points in Game 1, Gilgeous-Alexander was more efficient on Sunday, going 11-of-21 from the field and 11-of-12 from the foul line en route to a 34-point performance.

MacMahon notes that SGA also established a franchise record with his 12th 30-point game of this year’s playoffs, topping the mark set by Kevin Durant in 2014.

“I’m being myself,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I don’t think I tried to reinvent the wheel or step up to the plate with a different mindset. Just try to attack the game the right way. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of that so far.”

The reigning MVP and the league’s best regular season team both looked more in character in Game 2 than they did while letting a 15-point fourth quarter lead slip away in the opener. Gilgeous-Alexander resumed his normal role as a facilitator as well as a scorer, handing out eight assists after having just three in Game 1. His assists went to seven different teammates, and six of them resulted in made three-pointers.

“He’s just getting better and better, which is very impressive,” Jalen Williams said. “Obviously, he’s the MVP of the league. For him to continue to get better is good. He just trusts us to make plays. I think when your best player is out there and he trusts you to make a play, it just gives you more confidence. He understands that. I think that’s one of the roles he’s gotten really good at and grown at, and it just makes our team better.”

There’s more on the Thunder:

Defensive sparkplug Alex Caruso delivered 20 points off the bench to help keep the game out of reach, per Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. It was a scoring mark he didn’t achieve in any game during the regular season, and it was more than any Pacers player was able to muster. “He’s one of those guys who you know is going to bring it every single night,” Chet Holmgren said. “Whether he’s 22 or 30, doesn’t matter. He’s going to bring it. I feel like, as a collective, we really feed off of that. Then also his ability to kind of process things that are happening out there and relay it and communicate it to everybody else is really important for us.”
After subpar showings in the series opener, Williams and Holmgren delivered more typical outings in Game 2, notes Will Guillory of The Athletic. Williams contributed 19 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Holmgren added 15 points and six rebounds. Aaron Wiggins chipped in 18 points off the bench as the Thunder reserves outscored the Pacers’ reserves, 48-34.
Coach Mark Daigneault stuck with his smaller starting lineup from Game 1 — with Cason Wallace replacing Isaiah Hartenstein — but he made a few adjustments on Sunday, observes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Holmgren and Hartenstein saw time together, allowing Oklahoma City to be more competitive on the boards, and rookie guard Ajay Mitchell was barely used.