Chet Holmgren was upgraded from out with his right knee, and his return is projected for Oct. 31 at Houston. That is the best news for a 4-1 Thunder team coming off a 120-96 loss in Dallas that showed how little the bench can carry right now.
Holmgren's Window Is Saturday
Oklahoma City has three days before tipping off at the Rockets on NBA TV, and the projection for Holmgren's knee lines up with that date. He averaged 12.0 points with 9.3 boards in three games. Without him in Dallas, Isaiah Hartenstein pulled down 14 rebounds, but the only big behind him was rookie Aday Mara, who had 6 points and 2 blocks in 21 minutes.
Nineteen Bench Points Explain It
The starters produced 77 of the 96 in Dallas, and the reserves managed 19, with Bennett Stirtz scoring 8 of them on 3-of-5 shooting. That gap is the price of a rotation missing Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams, Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber. Jared McCain is playing 11 more minutes a night over the last three games, and the extra load showed: 3-of-13 from the field and 0-of-6 from deep.
Nov. 4 Is the Real Date
Caruso's right ankle, Topic's back and Sorber's knee all carry Nov. 4 projections, which is the home game against Cleveland, two days after the first of two meetings. Williams had surgery on his left leg, and ESPN and Hoops Rumors reported he will be reevaluated before the season ends. His listed return is March 2, 2027, the same date as Wallace's shoulder. That makes this a question about assets, not a reason to panic: the Thunder are over the tax line, with first-round swaps in 2027 and 2028 and their own picks in 2029 and 2030. The open question is whether the returning players are enough help, or whether that draft capital gets used.
When could Chet Holmgren return for the Thunder?
His return is projected for Oct. 31 at Houston after he was upgraded from out with a right knee issue.
When will Jalen Williams be back?
ESPN reported that he had surgery and will be reevaluated before the end of the season. The injury list projects a return on March 2, 2027.
