Exiting the floor as the San Antonio Spurs began their celebration, the Oklahoma City Thunder began the first seconds of a lengthy summer break. For the first time in a couple of years, their roster is about to go through some changes. Such is life in the NBA business.
One of the handful of big-time decisions the Thunder will have to make centers around Isaiah Hartenstein. He has a $28.5 milliion team option for the 2026-27 season. Most forecasters predict OKC will go the decline-and-sign route to keep the 28-year-old around for the long haul.
In his two years, Hartenstein has been a resounding success. He averaged 10.3 points and 10.1 rebounds as a full-time starter. He helped shore up OKC’s rebound game, leveled up their size and helped run their secondary offense with his DHO actions. Obviously, their 2025 NBA championship is tangible proof that the seven-footer’s arrival was a home-run addition.
Now, the Thunder and Hartenstein both must decide if they want to keep things going — ala renewing your apartment’s lease. He’s part of a quartet of players who will get answers on their long-term future in OKC this offseason. The other three are Lu Dort, Cason Wallace and Kenrich Williams. All four are interconnected.
Not even a full 24 hours since the Thunder experienced a gut-wrenching Game 7 loss to the Spurs, Hartenstein kept it business only when asked about their eventual negotiations.
“We just lost yesterday, so at the end of the day, that’s something that will be discussed more at the end. I love being here. I love the organization, but it’s a lot in their hands,” Hartenstein said. “I think that them and my agent will talk. It’s a business at the end of the day. But whatever happens, I’m truly grateful.”
Probably smart for Hartenstein to go this route. He can’t really say anything definitive — either from OKC or another contender. If you’re the 28-year-old, you prefer it to be on the Thunder. That’s where he enjoyed both his best individual and collective success. But considering he was a career journeyman for the first seven years of his career, he knows just how results-oriented this business can be.
We’ll see what happens in the coming months. But reading the tea leaves, I think the Thunder will prioritize keeping Hartenstein around. His arrival has been synonymous with OKC’s ascension to the top of the NBA ladder. And even though they got booted out in the Western Conference Finals, they’ll be right back in that conversation next year and beyond.
“The community is big for me. I think since I got here, I really started connecting with the community and just how they approach just giving back, how they approach being selfless and so on,” Hartenstein said. “It’s always a big thing, I think me in general, the whole Oklahoma City have gotten pretty close pretty fast. There’s always a personal side to it. But again, it’s not really in my court.”
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Isaiah Hartenstein hopes to stay on Thunder: ‘I love being here’