The Oklahoma City Thunder’s brutal week just got worse. All-Star center Chet Holmgren is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks after undergoing treatment Friday for a small patellar tendon tear in his right knee.
ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the news on X Friday evening. The Thunder confirmed it in an official medical update shortly after, saying Holmgren first felt mild discomfort in his right knee on Oct. 25. After a series of consultations with specialists, the team decided on a biological treatment to address the tear.
The Thunder said the treatment was successful and that Holmgren is expected to make a full recovery and return to play in eight to 10 weeks. That timeline would keep him out until around early January.
Charania noted on X that Holmgren’s knee trouble began in the same game last Sunday in which the Thunder suffered serious injuries to two All-Stars and one starter.
The news piles on top of two other major blows for the defending powerhouse. Jalen Williams had ankle surgery earlier this week and may miss the rest of the season, as Aztimez reported. In the same medical update Friday, the Thunder said guard Cason Wallace had successful surgery to repair a labral tear in his left shoulder. Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed the procedure at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, and Wallace will be re-evaluated before the end of the 2026-27 regular season, the team said.
Holmgren finished as the runner-up to San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama for Defensive Player of the Year last season and earned first-team All-Defensive honors, according to USA Today. His shot-blocking and floor spacing are central to how Oklahoma City plays on both ends.
With Holmgren, Williams and Wallace all sidelined, the Thunder will lean even harder on their remaining stars and depth as the early schedule and the Emirates NBA Cup group stage roll on.
Aztimez will update this story if the Thunder release a new timeline.
Sources: ESPN’s Shams Charania (on X), the Oklahoma City Thunder’s official medical update, the Associated Press and USA Today.
Photo: “Sunset on the Hoop,” Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 public domain dedication. Generic image; not a photo of the player or team.
