Hartenstein’s Future With The Thunder Is In His Hands

The Oklahoma City Thunder are fresh off their first-ever NBA championship season and are already looking ahead to their next one.

Luckily for OKC, all of its key players are returning to make its dreams a reality. The Thunder also made moves to secure their future as they extended multiple star players, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. 

One player for the Thunder whose future is not secured for the long run is starting center Isaiah Hartenstein. He has one guaranteed year left on his contract before his team option comes up for the 2026-2027 season.

Hartenstein was a solid player for the Thunder last season, averaging a double-double in the regular season with 11.2 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Hartenstein has stood out as the more physical big man for the Thunder and is more present when the Thunder runs their bigger lineup.

Although it wasn’t by a large amount, Hartenstein’s productivity did go down in the postseason. Both his points per game and rebounds per game dropped into single digits as he averaged five fewer minutes of playing time. 

Many have speculated that recent draft pick Thomas Sorber is supposed to be Hartenstein’s replacement in the next couple of years. However, Sorber will now miss the entirety of his rookie season after tearing his ACL in his right knee. 

This injury might convince the Thunder to keep Hartenstein for his team option year, so that he can help Sorber grow into the role he’s supposed to take over.

Of course, with less competition from younger players vying for playing time, Hartenstein will also get the opportunity to prove that he belongs on the Thunder’s roster. 

Hartenstein embodies the Thunder’s defensive presence, as last season he had a defensive rating of 103.6 and averaged 1.1 blocks per game. His bruising defense, along with his shooting percentage of 58.1 from the floor, allows him to influence the game whenever he’s in. 

Ultimately, with a lot of stars around him, Hartenstein will have to prove that he deserves to be called one as well. With young players waiting to grab minutes from him and with the loaded roster around him, Hartenstein will have to show that he is as valuable to a championship team as anyone else.