OKC Thunder Additions Ranked as Top Five Moves of the Offseason

Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein are the headliners of the Oklahoma City Thunder's offseason period, and the moves have received plenty of praise.

Mar 16, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso (6) gestures after making a three point basket against the Washington Wizards during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

After becoming an unexpected No. 1 seed in the Western Conference last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder was bound to make a push in the offseason at bringing some upgrades to its roster.

It's done just that.

Oklahoma City realized the major causes of its disappointing loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the second round and set out to find some answers. Looking at the trade for Alex Caruso and the signing of Isaiah Hartenstein, there weren't too many better options available to accomplish that. It only really cost it Josh Giddey, but all signs were pointing to the 21-year-old finding a new destination for next season anyway.

Brad Botkin of CBS Sports was particularly fond of both moves, listing Hartenstein and Caruso as No. 3 and 4 of the best moves of the entire offseason period. They were only behind Mikal Bridges' trade to the New York Knicks and Paul George's singing with the Philadelphia 76ers, the two biggest names that have been moved thus far.

Hartenstein is officially the Thunder's highest-paid free agent in franchise history, requiring a near $30 million annual salary to bring him to the roster. Even with the large number, his ability to come in and eliminate its rebounding issue will be invaluable. It was the single biggest detractor it had last season, and bringing one of the best rebounders in the NBA will certainly help fix that.

Although he will likely be coming off the bench, the 26-year-old will have little issues playing next to Chet Holmgren. The incoming sophomore's ability to space the floor and play on the perimeter will allow for them to co-exist offensively, and a two-big defensive lineup can be useful in a variety of situations and matchups.

As for Caurso, he's the ideal role player to have at the shooting guard position. It gave away a young player with potential, but one that caused issues offensively and was a clear defensive liability. To replace that, it got a 40% 3-point shooter and an All-Defensive team selection.

Next to Luguentz Dort on the perimeter, Oklahoma City will have plenty of options to go up against the best guards from around the league. Most teams would call themselves lucky to have just one of those caliber of defenders, but it can say it has multiple. Caruso was the lead defender in Chicago, but now he can play alongside a complete defensive roster, a change he's surely excited about.

Hartenstein and Caruso share the same expectation that they will add even higher-level defense to that already elite defensive team, which could create a nightmare scenario for opposing teams next year. They say defense wins championships, and Oklahoma City is buying into that notion.

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