By Michael Kinney
The minute former New York Knick Isaiah Hartenstein signed his multi-year free agent contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he may have made team history. In some people’s estimations, the 26-year-old immediately became the biggest free agent signing since the Thunder relocated from Seattle in 2008.
That doesn’t mean Oklahoma City hasn’t gone after their share of big-name players in the past 16 years. They just came up short when it to the bright lights in bigger markets and cities.
But where other players seemingly saw negatives, Hartenstein saw them as positive opportunities.
“Just the culture,” Hartenstein said Saturday after signing. “Very family-based. It sounded really exciting to me. I felt like I could really expand my game here. The style of play I think really fits me. I’m a high-IQ player. They have a lot of guys who cut.”
For Thunder General Manager Sam Presti, it wasn’t about making a splash in the free agent market. The only GM the Thunder has ever known was looking for the right missing piece to the puzzle that would bring Oklahoma City its first NBA title.
“We don’t make promises on minutes; we don’t make promises on roles,” Presti said. “We make promises on environment and trying to put the team in the best position to be successful. (Hartenstein) wasn’t asking for that, either.”
Hartenstein has made the rounds in the league since being drafted 43rd overall I the 2017 draft. In six NBA seasons as a member of the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers and Knicks, Hartenstein owns career averages of 6.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 18.0 minutes.
But it was this past season in New York that the 7-footer found his game. During the 2023-24 season, Hartenstein appeared in 75 games (49 starts) and averaged 7.8 points on 64.4 percent shooting to go along with 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.16 steals and 1.13 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game with the New York Knicks.
Hartenstein is looking to improve upon his production as a member of the Thunder. But he also explained how he can help players like Chet Holmgren in the process.
“I think, high-IQ player. I think he’s very skilled. I think we can play really good together,” Hartenstein said. “Defensively, having two of the top rim protectors on the court at the same time, it’s not easy. But I’m really excited. That’s one thing, I’m really excited to see how that goes. He’s very talented, and I think with my IQ, I’ll have to do a little bit more of the dirty work so he can chill a little bit. But it’s really exciting. To me he’s one of the most talented bigs in the NBA, so me and him on the court together I think is going to be very deadly, so I’m excited about that.”
Hartenstein ranked first in steals, second in offensive rebounds and 11th in assists last season among centers per 48 minutes. Additionally, Hartenstein posted the fifth-highest field goal percentage of all players with at least 1,500 minutes played.
Even though he hasn’t played a game with the Thunder yet, Hartenstein has already gotten the seal of approval from one of the biggest names in franchise history.
“OKC was always a team I was really excited about even watching when I was over in Germany when it was KD (Kevin Durant), Russ (Westbrook) and James (Harden) Russ probably was one of the first guys who texted me, like if you ever need anything in — I think he said the O or something — just let me know. It’s really exciting.”
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