Why is Chet Holmgren Not Playing Tonight?
Chet Holmgren is out for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s road game against the Memphis Grizzlies due to bilateral shin soreness, per the league’s latest injury report and multiple outlet confirmations.
It’s a management call more than a catastrophic event, but it still hits the Thunder rotation in a big way for a team already missing key pieces in the frontcourt.
@UnderdogNBA shared on X: "Chet Holmgren is out."
Holmgren played heavy minutes in Wednesday’s overtime win against Utah, putting up over 20 points with double‑digit boards while running the floor hard on both ends, and the shin issue appears to have flared up in the aftermath of that stretch.
It’s not the kind of injury you ignore with a 7‑footer who’s already been through serious lower‑body issues early in his career.
Is Chet Holmgren injured?
Yes, but the Thunder are listing it as bilateral shin soreness, not a structural break or ligament tear, and he’s categorized as out on the official injury report for this matchup. Clemente Almanza on X reports that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle sprain) will be out for the Thunder's game tomorrow against the Grizzlies.
ESPN and multiple beat outlets have him down as day‑to‑day rather than anything long term, which lines up with how Oklahoma City has handled similar soreness issues in the past.
From a pure basketball standpoint, it matters because OKC is already without Shai Gilgeous‑Alexander (right ankle sprain), Isaiah Hartenstein (right soleus strain), Cason Wallace (left great toe soreness) and Jaylin Williams (right heel bursitis), leaving Mark Daigneault to piece together a frontcourt from Aaron Wiggins, Kenrich Williams and Branden Carlson against Memphis’ size.
Holmgren had just helped close an overtime game a couple of nights ago, so this feels like the staff reading the schedule, looking at his history and deciding not to push it.
Chet Holmgren Injury Details
Over the last three seasons, Holmgren’s injury file is longer than the Thunder would like, and it starts before his official rookie year. The major hits:
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2022–23 (OKC) – Lisfranc injury in his right foot suffered during a Pro‑Am game in August 2022, requiring surgery and costing him the entire 82‑game regular season.
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2023–24 (OKC) – Returned and played all 82 games, avoiding major injury but dealing with the usual minor bumps that didn’t keep him out of the lineup.
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2024–25 (OKC) – Right iliac wing fracture (pelvis) on November 10, 2024, after a hard fall against Golden State; he missed 39 games and came back on February 7, 2025. He also missed an additional 11 games that season with back, leg, ankle and hip issues plus scheduled rest, finishing with 32 regular‑season appearances.
Given that history, it’s not shocking the Thunder are ultra‑conservative when anything flares up in his lower body, even if the current label sounds relatively minor.
When Will Chet Holmgren Return?
Right now there’s no firm public timetable beyond “out tonight” and day‑to‑day with bilateral shin soreness. No one from the team has suggested an extended absence, and the reporting around the Grizzlies game frames it more like precautionary management after a long run of appearances than the start of another months‑long rehab.
If that holds, the expectation is that Holmgren will be reevaluated between games and could slide back into the lineup once the soreness settles, but it’s unclear if that means the very next outing or after a brief mini‑rest.
With Oklahoma City sitting near the top of the West, there’s little incentive to rush him into a random January game and risk turning shin pain into something that lingers into the spring.
Chet Holmgren Career Stats with OKC
Regular‑season production with Oklahoma City (through the end of the 2024–25 season) paints the picture of a high‑impact modern big when he’s actually on the floor. Numbers rounded for readability:
| Season | Games Played | MPG | PPG | BPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 OKC | 82 | 29.4 | 16.5 | 2.3 |
| 2024–25 OKC | 32 | ~28 | 15.0 | 2.0 |
Those shot‑blocking numbers next to real shooting touch are why the Thunder stay patient. You don’t gamble with a profile like that in January.
Disclaimer:
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not provide medical, betting, or professional advice. Player status and injury details can change quickly, so always check the latest official team reports or trusted news sources before making decisions based on this information.
