Feb. 15, 2026, 12:10 p.m. CT
Teaming up with social media celebrity Druski, Chet Holmgren was set up for failure from the get-go at the NBA All-Star’s Shooting Stars competition on Saturday. It shouldn’t be a shocker to see Team All-Star get eliminated in the opening round.
Trying to catch Druski’s cross-court passes hindered Holmgren and his teammates from getting to their seven spots in 70 seconds. The first-time All-Star player likely learned to appreciate playing alongside a high-end passer — no offense to Druski’s humorous attempts.
One guy Holmgren wished he likely had instead was Josh Giddey. The two were teammates for two seasons on the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2022-24. The latter was dealt in the 2024 NBA offseason to the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso in a rare one-for-one swap.
Two years later, fair to say the trade worked out for both sides. Caruso helped the Thunder win an NBA championship as an important role player in their 2025 playoff run. Giddey has enjoyed having the keys to the car in Chicago with a couple of stat-stuffing seasons.
After Saturday’s events, Holmgren talked about Giddey’s time on the Bulls. The 23-year-old has averaged 18.6 points on 46.2% shooting, 8.8 assists and 8.6 rebounds. Before dealing with a hamstring strain, it felt like he was on his way to being a first-time All-Star.
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“He was a stupid little hamstring injury away from having a really good shot at getting in. I’m not surprised at all by what he’s doing up there. He’s an amazing player. Very dynamic. He has a lot of unique talents. A lot of size for that position,” Holmgren said. “My first couple of years here playing with him, I saw that talent every day. I’m happy he’s in Chicago getting to show his full repertoire of being able to do what he can do.”
While Giddey didn’t work out in OKC, the talent was there from the jump. He suffered from falling out of the rotation as Holmgren and Jalen Williams emerged as All-Star players. Also difficult to justify not having the ball in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s hands most of the time as the reigning MVP and a walking 30-point machine.