Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren, who missed the past two games due to a sore right knee, will be sidelined the next eight to 10 weeks because of a small patellar tendon tear, the team announced Friday.
Holmgren underwent what the Thunder described as a successful “biological treatment” to address the injury.
The ongoing absence of Holmgren adds to the Thunder’s dire injury situation.
Guard Cason Wallace underwent successful surgery Friday in Los Angeles to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. The club stated he will be re-evaluated before the end of the regular season.
On Wednesday, forward Jalen Williams had surgery to fix a broken left fibula and to reconstruct ligaments in his dislocated and fractured ankle. He will also be reassessed prior to the end of the regular season.
In addition, guard Alex Caruso also missed Wednesday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks with a sprained right ankle and has been ruled out for Saturday’s visit to the Houston Rockets.
Holmgren, 24, was an All-NBA performer last season after helping the Thunder win the NBA title the prior season.
Through three games this season, he is averaging 12 points, 9.3 rebounds and three blocks. For his four-season NBA career, all with Oklahoma City, Holmgren has averages of 16.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 186 games (all starts).
Wallace, 22, has also played three times this season, contributing 6.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals per contest. He has career averages of 7.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals in four seasons, all with the Thunder.
