LADERA RANCH, Calif. -- Chet Holmgren said Saturday that the departures of three contributors to the Oklahoma City Thunder's 2025 championship team felt "like losing a family member."
Holmgren, an All-Star big man set to enter his fourth season with the Thunder, offered best wishes to Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe, who left Oklahoma City in separate offseason trades. Dort, a perimeter stopper and longtime starter, and Wiggins, a reserve wing, will join the Atlanta Hawks. Joe, a backup shooting specialist, was sent to the Detroit Pistons.
"That's how the business of this game goes," Holmgren said at a USA Basketball Foundation charity event in Southern California. "No team, all 17 guys, sticks together forever. But it doesn't make it hurt less when you see guys go. At the same time, I'm excited for [Dort and Wiggins] and the opportunity they're going to have in Atlanta. I'm happy for whatever major milestones they reach over there."
With two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-Star forward Jalen Williams and Holmgren all on lucrative long-term contracts, Thunder executive vice president Sam Presti traded Dort, Wiggins and Joe for a total of seven future second-round picks in cap-cutting moves. By shedding their salaries, Oklahoma City was able to retain center Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency on a three-year, $75 million agreement, and it remains one of the betting favorites to win the 2027 title.