Thunder halt Ochai Agbaji deal following Holmgren injury

Sudden change in Thunder plans

The Oklahoma City Thunder will no longer sign free agent Ochai Agbaji. The franchise had initially agreed to a deal with him on Friday to fill an open roster spot. However, team leaders decided to rethink their options after finding out that Chet Holmgren will miss extended action.

Agbaji's health was not a factor in this decision. The 26 year old swingman was selected as the 14th overall pick in the 2022 draft. He has averaged 7.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game across 263 career appearances, starting 108 of those contests. He was waived by the New York Knicks earlier this month during final roster cuts. Over his four years in the league, he has played for three different NBA teams, splitting last season between the Toronto Raptors and the Brooklyn Nets.

Injury struggles mount for the squad

Oklahoma City first moved to sign Agbaji because of serious injuries to guard Cason Wallace and forward Jalen Williams. Both players were injured during Sunday's victory against the LA Clippers and needed surgery.

Williams suffered a fractured fibula and a dislocated left ankle. Wallace suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Their recovery periods will take several months, though the Thunder have not ruled either player out for the rest of the season.

The roster situation changed when Holmgren was also sidelined. He suffered a small patellar tendon tear on Friday and underwent a biological treatment today. Oklahoma City expects Holmgren to return in 8 to 10 weeks, which forced the team to pause and reconsider how to use their open roster spot.