The Thunder will have to wait another year to see Chet Holmgren take the court in the NBA.
Holmgren, the second-overall pick in the 2022 draft, will miss the entire 2022-23 season due to a Lisfranc injury in his right foot, the Thunder announced. The 20-year-old appeared to suffer the injury in a pro-am game Sunday in Seattle, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, while defending LeBron James.
Chet Holmgren trying to block a LeBron James shot during a pro-am game in Seattle on Aug. 20, 2022. Getty Images
Chet Holmgren appeared to injure his foot guarding LeBron James at a pro-am game in Seattle on Saturday. Getty Images“Certainly, we are disappointed for Chet, especially given the excitement he had about getting on the floor with his teammates this season,” Thunder general manager Sam Presti said in a statement. “We know Chet has a long career ahead of him within our organization and the Oklahoma City community. One of the things that most impressed us during the process of selecting Chet was his determination and focus. We expect that same tenacity will carry him through this period of time as we work together and support him during his rehabilitation.”
The Gonzaga product was in contention for the first-overall pick but fell at the last moment, with Duke’s Paolo Banchero going at the top of the draft to Orlando.
The Thunder, who finished 24-58 last season, will likely be toward the bottom of the Western Conference again as they continue what’s expected to be a painful rebuild.
