Chet Holmgren prefers not to go to 1 NBA team?

Oct 31, 2021; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs center Chet Holmgren (34) points to the guy he was covering during a game against the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Bulldogs won 115-62. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Chet Holmgren might not be about the “I’d be happy to get drafted by any team” life.

In an episode this week of his podcast, Ryen Russillo of The Ringer reported that the former Gonzaga star Holmgren may prefer not to go to the Orlando Magic with the No. 1 overall pick. Instead, Holmgren appears to be eyeing the Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 2.

“I’ve been told this is where [agent Bill] Duffy and Chet want to go — they want to go to Oklahoma City because … [of] the opportunities and he has way more freedom because of the roster in front of him than maybe he would in Orlando,” said Russillo. “That’s the preference that I’ve heard.”

The seven-footer Holmgren would probably get enough opportunities in Orlando with Mo Bamba due to become a restricted free agent and Moritz Wagner only having a partially-guaranteed contract for next season. But Wendell Carter has emerged as an impact guy at center, power forward Chuma Okeke came along nicely as a rookie, and Jonathan Isaac will be returning from injury at some point. The frontcourt rotation is a bit less crowded in Oklahoma City with only lower-ceiling guys like Isaiah Roby, Darius Bazley, and Aleksej Pokusevski standing in the way.

Holmgren had been mentioned as a candidate for Orlando’s No. 1 selection, but they may now be targeting a different player with that pick instead. It turns out that would likely be Holmgren’s preferred outcome at this point.

H/T USA Today Sports