Chet Holmgren is officially a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he may have gone some great lengths to steer his way there.
Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated said in a recent report that the ex-Gonzaga big man Holmgren bailed early on the final day of his predraft visit with the Orlando Magic. Woo adds that Holmgren conducted only a brief on-court shooting workout with the Magic that he ended up cutting short.
Orlando had the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft and were rumored to be considering Holmgren, Jabari Smith, and Paolo Banchero. They ultimately went with Banchero (perhaps the least likely of the three), and Holmgren went to the Thunder with the very next pick at No. 2.
There had indeed been earlier rumors that the seven-footer Holmgren was hoping to avoid the Magic (supposedly for some interesting reasons). Now it sounds like Holmgren actually took action to try to Eli Manning his way past the No. 1 overall slot.
