Kendrick Perkins Doesn't Hold Back on Thunder's Chet Holmgren

Chet Holmgren was nowhere to be found as the reigning NBA-champion Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.

Holmgren, an All-NBA player, finished the closeout game with four points and four rebounds - attempting just two shots through his 33 minutes of action.

This abysmal performance drew criticism from prominent figures around the NBA world, including NBA champion turned TV analyst Kendrick Perkins.

Perkins believes the Thunder should trade Homgren as soon as possible, calling the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up “soft.”

"I would trade him before the draft,” Perkins said on First Take. “He didn't swing a punch. That showed no heart whatsoever. One word we can never put on OKC, is soft. What Chet Holmgren showed is ‘I'm soft, and I'm scared.' He was scared throughout the entire series."

More Basketball:Chet Holmgren Reacts to Supportive Message From Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Both back-to-back NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault went to bat for Holmgren amid this criticism.

“We need Chet Holmgren,” SGA said on Sunday. “Before Chet was here, we weren’t who we are today. We wouldn’t have the success we have today. When he’s the best version of himself, we’re the best version of ourselves.”

More Basketball:Spurs' Julian Champagnie Reflects on His Tumultuous NBA Journey

While the Thunder now head into the 2026 offseason, the Spurs advance to face off against the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.

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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 8:40 AM.