In the days leading up to the NBA draft, it was widely speculated that Chet Holmgren wanted to land with the Oklahoma City Thunder over the Orlando Magic. Now that the pact is official, Holmgren expressed his excitement to join the organization.
The Thunder officially introduced Holmgren on Saturday after selecting him with the second pick. Holmgren was joined by fellow draftees Ousmane Dieng (11th pick), Jalen Williams (12th pick) and Jaylin Williams (34th pick).
Holmgren apparently liked the on-court fit better with the Thunder over the Magic. He even cut a workout short with the Magic after spending two days with the front office in Orlando, according to Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated.
He explained what made the Thunder an attractive place for him.
Now that I’m here, I can officially say this is where I want to be. This is a great organization, great city and great fan base to be in. It is hard to sum up why I want to be here in a couple of sentences but I kinda said it best when I said it’s a great organization, great people and a great vision for the future.
Holmgren, who was named a consensus All-American, averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.7 blocks and 1.9 assists last season. He emerged as a strong prospect on both ends of the court and shot 39% from 3-point range on 3.3 attempts per game.
The 7-footer projects to fit in well with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, and he is viewed as a key building block for the future. Joining a team in the middle of a rebuild, Holmgren will have the opportunity to log plenty of minutes next season.
The Thunder locked in on him early in the draft process and clearly value his skill set and addition to the lineup, as does Holmgren. With summer league around the corner, the wait won’t be too much longer until Holmgren can take the court with some of his new teammates.
OKC tips off the Las Vegas Summer League on July 9.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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