Isaiah Hartenstein Stays with the Thunder
Isaiah Hartenstein has officially committed to the Thunder for the long term. He’ll be returning after the 2027-28 season, signing a three-year deal worth $75 million, which features a rare mutual option, as reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania on Friday night.
This new contract also comes with a 15% trade kicker, according to sources.
The Thunder faced a significant decision regarding their frontcourt, looking to secure their midfield players, but it wasn’t a foregone conclusion before the season started.
Hartenstein, who recently celebrated his 28th birthday in May, joined the team following the 2023-24 season after a stint with the Knicks. Since then, he has made a notable impact, contributing to the Oklahoma City team that clinched the 2025 NBA championship.
He will continue to support the frontcourt alongside the promising yet sometimes underappreciated Chet Holmgren.
It’s interesting to note that the Thunder have a tall rookie in Adei Mara, standing at 7-foot-3, who was the 12th overall pick from Michigan State in the recent NBA Draft. Additionally, the team retains Thomas Sober, a former 15th overall pick who missed last season due to a torn ACL.
Jaylin Williams, pivotal in the Thunder’s playoff run last season, is also expected to play a crucial role in the forward and center positions.
While Hartenstein’s performance has varied, he averaged 11.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists during the 2024-25 season. These stats took a dip last season, hitting 9.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, likely because he played around three minutes less per game.
In the playoffs, however, he stepped up his game, showing improvements from 8.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in the 2024-25 playoffs to 9.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists this time around.
The Thunder still find themselves as a second-apron team despite this new deal and might explore further cost-saving options in the coming months.
So far, they’ve traded several reliable rotation players, including sharpshooter Isaiah Joe and regular contributor Aaron Wiggins, to the Pistons and Hawks, securing two second-round picks for each. This might just be the beginning, as they could consider parting ways with Lou Dort or Kenrich Williams this offseason to stay under the second apron.
