Still, Hall of Fame NBA player Paul Pierce had an idea for the Thunder -- trade Holmgren for Kevin Durant. The 36-year-old forward is still playing at an MVP-caliber level, and Pierce's reasoning was that Holmgren has hardly played in Oklahoma City's remarkable campaign thus far.

As the Oklahoma City Thunder run away with the first seed, Chet Holmgren continues to rehab from his hip fracture. Nearly three months removed from the injury, the 22-year-old's return will provide a massive boost for a title contender that's juggled through injuries all season.

Chet Holmgren's hip injury leaves a significant gap in the Oklahoma City Thunder's lineup. Despite his absence, the team remains atop the Western Conference with a 37-8 record but faces challenges, especially against strong opponents like the Warriors.

Pierce pitched the Thunder to trade Chet Holmgren for Kevin Durant, which sparked a loud conversation across the media. Former NBA guard Jeff Teague took to the "Club 520 Podcast" to make his strong opinion known of the trade.

On the "Ticket & The Truth" podcast with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce spitballed that the Thunder should trade Chet Holmgren for Kevin Durant. He cites that the Thunder have rolled without the 22-year-old for most of the season as he rehabs a hip fracture.

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The Knicks and Nuggets are surging, while the Warriors watch their window close. Meanwhile, the Cavs and Thunder have their business on lock.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić continue to set the Kia MVP pace for each other and the rest of the field.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having the best season of his career and is currently the frontrunner to win MVP. SGA has the OKC Thunder running like a well-oiled machine at 36-8 despite the absence of Chet Holmgren for the majority of the season.

During the Oklahoma City Thunder 's playoff battle against the Dallas Mavericks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander admitted they needed to "turn that water off" with PJ Washington's scoring and outside shooting. The role player morphed into a superstar against OKC.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be a starter in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 16 in San Francisco.