Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti isn't worried about how All-Star Chet Holmgren is going to bounce back from his disappointing performance in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. After watching his team fail to reach the NBA Finals last season, Presti is excited about the Thunder's immediate future. At the same time, many questioned how Oklahoma City GM Presti would respond to Holmgren's four-point dud in Game 7 against the Spurs over the summer.

Presti believes Holmgren will respond well with another stellar season in 2026-27, following the Thunder's season-ending loss to the Spurs.

“Chet needs no motivation. This is a person that is an ultra-competitor, and you don't see that just on court, but his preparation, his planning, his mindset for those things are elite,” Presti said. “You don't have a season like the one he had last year, where he's second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, he's a first-time All-Star, he's an All-NBA player; he's anchoring the best defense in the league. And that was coming off winning the championship. So, it didn't need any type of encore motivation.

“He didn't play his best basketball in that series, but as I pointed out at that time, all of the great players in NBA history — that's what makes them great. They encounter these moments, they confront them, and they battle, and they learn from those, and get better. And I'm pretty confident that's kind of the trajectory he's going to take. But sure, there are things he focused on, and he's worked on. I don't think it's a matter of responding, necessarily, to that one series.”

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After Chet Holmgren's breakout season with the Thunder, Sam Presti is anticipating another leap in the All-NBA forward's growth.

“There's a series of players on our team that are probably three or four years from really being at peak level, the majority of the team, quite frankly,” Presti added. “It's kind of different for everybody. With team planning and aprons, and things of that nature. We have three guys, two of which that are not even in their prime, that are All-NBA players. And also the other guy is a back-to-back MVP, and he's only getting better, as well, in his prime. So, Chet's going to get better for many, many years from here.”

The Thunder will begin its preseason schedule against the New Orleans Pelicans on October 6.