{
  "id": 8078793,
  "title": "ESPN predicts OKC Thunder will eventually trade Chet Holmgren or Jalen Williams",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/espn-predicts-okc-thunder-will-eventually-trade-chet-holmgren-or",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-17T19:00:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/espn-predicts-okc-thunder-eventually-190004275.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "ESPN has forecasted that the Oklahoma City Thunder may need to trade either Chet Holmgren or Jalen Williams within the next two years due to salary-cap limitations. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scheduled to be the highest-paid player on the team, the remaining three stars will consume nearly 85% of the Thunder's payroll over the next decade. This leaves very little room for the rest of the roster, even accounting for anticipated contract extensions for players like Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell. The Thunder's recent cost-cutting measures, including trading Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins, have been implemented to manage their finances. ESPN's Ben Golliver suggests that trading Williams or Holmgren could be necessary to rebuild the team's depth and maintain long-term sustainability. The Thunder will likely transition from a big three to a big two in the future, as the second supermax contract for Gilgeous-Alexander will necessitate significant cuts. The article acknowledges that many variables could change between now and the next two summers, but trading one of these key players at this stage would be challenging for Thunder fans, especially if the team has just won a second NBA championship in three years.",
  "summary": "ESPN predicts Oklahoma City Thunder will eventually trade Chet Holmgren or Jalen Williams.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "NBA DPOY finalist Chet Holmgren projected to be key X-Factor for uncertain SGA, Thunder title run",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/nba-dpoy-finalist-chet-holmgren-projected-to-be-key-x-factor-for",
        "published": "2026-09-17T11:05:49.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}