The Oklahoma City Thunder were all set to sign former Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji this week, but a devastating injury update for All-Star center Chet Holmgren completely flipped the script for the franchise. This team had big plans, a “revenge tour” on the mind after losing to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals just months ago, and now they are already in a tough spot with injuries piling up early in the season.
Agbaji’s Deal Off The Table
On Friday, it looked like Agbaji was headed to OKC. League sources told HoopsHype that the Thunder planned to sign him, which made sense given their early season injury woes. Agbaji has averaged 7.2 points over four NBA seasons, suiting up for the Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors, and Brooklyn Nets. He was most recently with the New York Knicks during their training camp. It seemed like a solid pickup to bolster a roster that was clearly feeling the crunch.
Holmgren’s Brutal Setback
Then Friday night hit, and things got a whole lot worse. All-Star center Chet Holmgren was ruled out for a minimum of two months. The team announced that Holmgren would miss at least 8-10 weeks with a small patellar tendon tear in his right knee. He underwent a “biological treatment” to repair the issue and is expected to make a full recovery, but that timeline is a huge blow for OKC. With their star big man out, the team had to reassess everything.
By Saturday, the plan for Agbaji was dead. ESPN first reported that the Thunder would no longer be signing him. Instead, OKC will now take that open roster spot and search for a center, desperate to fill the hole left by Holmgren’s absence. This is a brutal break for Agbaji, seeing an opportunity snatched away by an unforeseen injury to a different player. While it is not likely the end of his NBA journey, it certainly puts him back at square one. For the Thunder, they are now scrambling, thin at the center position, and on the hunt for a reliable big man who can step up for the next two months, possibly even longer.
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Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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