Williams and Hartenstein have been playing most of the minutes at center during Holmgren’s absence.
Chet Holmgren is averaging 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2 assists per game this season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will get their star center back this week.
Chet Holmgren is off the team’s injury report and expected to return to the court tonight when the Thunder host the Toronto Raptors (8 ET, NBA League Pass).
Holmgren sustained a right iliac wing fracture during the first quarter of OKC’s Nov. 10 game against the Golden State Warriors. The West-leading Thunder were 8-2 when Holmgren was sidelined with injury. Since then, they have improved to 40-9, becoming just the second team to reach 40 wins this season.
And if that wasn’t clear enough, Holmgren took to social media to announce the news himself. “I’m back,” was the signature Holmgren used on a TikTok video he posted Thursday.
— chet holmgren (@ChetHolmgren) February 6, 2025
The Thunder originally said he would return this season and be evaluated in eight to 10 weeks. However, he was re-evaluated halfway through January and determined that the versatile 7-foot-1 big man would need additional time to recover from a hip fracture. He was out more than 12 weeks with the injury.
Selected No. 2 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, Holmgren was the runner-up for Kia Rookie of the Year last season.
Holmgren, 22, is in his second NBA season and is averaging 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2.6 blocks per game while playing 26.5 minutes per game.
The No. 2 pick behind Orlando’s Paolo Banchero in the 2022 Draft, Holmgren missed the entirety of what would have been his first season in 2022-23 with a foot injury. He played all 82 games last season and was second in the Kia Rookie of the Year vote behind San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama.
Even before Holmgren returned, OKC was busy adding to its frontline for the stretch run. The Thunder acquired veteran center Daniel Theis from the New Orleans Pelicans via a trade Wednesday, adding him to a group that will include Holmgren, Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein.
Williams and Hartenstein have been playing most of the minutes at center during Holmgren’s absence.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
