Isaiah Hartenstein’s Contract A Luxury OKC Thunder Can Afford

The Oklahoma City Thunder inked Isaiah Hartenstein to a massive contract - a luxury the team can afford.

May 19, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) reacts during the third quarter of game seven of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder went and made a splash on the Free Agent market earlier this week. Inking the biggest free agent in team history to a three-year $87 Million deal to lure Isaiah Hartenstein away from the New York Knicks. 

While the massive payday plays a part, it is still a eye-popping achievement by the OKC Thunder brass to convince Hartenstein to leave the bright lights of broadway giving up his role on a contending Knicks team to join a small market club in Bricktown. 

This move puts a bow on the Thunder’s front court rotation - fixing a fatal flaw from a year ago. 

Now, Oklahoma City can have genuine rim-protection spread across 48 minutes, help on the glass and the ability to go to a big lineup if the matchup dictates it. 

While the contract might still give observers sticker shock, this is a luxury the Oklahoma City Thunder can afford. With the vast majority of their roster on rookie scale deals or team-friendly pacts, the Thunder used their cap space to vastly improve their roster. 

For the first time in franchise history, the Bricktown Boys were truly able to just throw money at the problem, not needing to ship out assets in a trade or bank on development drafting for need. 

Oklahoma City was able to take upside swings in the draft while bolstering their roster with actualized NBA talent with two headlining moves this offseason bringing in Hartenstein and Alex Caruso. 

With cap space and trade assets the Thunder could afford to make calculated gambles on draft night with the reality of their current situation - banking on a rookie to plug holes on a 57 win roster seems like a fools errand - it was always going to take proven NBA players added into the mix for Oklahoma City to take the next step. Mission accomplished. 

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