OKC's Future Secure
Thunder Secure Defensive Anchor Isaiah Hartenstein with $75M Extension for Championship Core
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Key Points
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The Thunder added two frontcourt recruits in the draft to bolster size behind Hartenstein and Holmgren: 7-foot-3 rookie Aday Mara (No. 12 overall) and 2025 No. 15 pick Thomas Sorber, who sat out last season with a torn ACL, signaling long-term depth and upside in the frontcourt.
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Jaylin Williams is expected to play a meaningful role in OKC’s frontcourt/rotation going forward, adding versatility alongside Hartenstein and Holmgren after his increased involvement in the playoffs.
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Hartenstein’s playoff impact was quantifyable, posting 9.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game in the latest postseason run, up from earlier playoff numbers, reinforcing his value as a two-way contributor in a title-contending core.
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OKC has already moved on-court salary through trades of fellow veterans—trading Isaiah Joe to the Pistons and Aaron Wiggins to the Hawks—as part of broader efforts to shed salary and dodge the NBA’s second apron threshold.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed to a three-year, $75 million extension with center Isaiah Hartenstein, keeping the defensive anchor locked in through the 2028-29 season, according to AP. The deal replaces his $28.5 million team option for 2026-27 with a new contract averaging roughly $25 million per year, includes a mutual option for the final season, and adds a 15 percent trade kicker for added flexibility.
The agreement brings Hartenstein's total earnings with OKC to approximately $134 million over five years. It comes just days after the Thunder shed roughly $150 million in projected luxury tax penalties by trading guards Isaiah Joe to Detroit and Aaron Wiggins to Atlanta, according to Fadeaway World.
A Week of Trades Clears Room for Hartenstein
The Thunder moved fast after the season ended. On June 22, OKC sent Aaron Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks for two future second-round picks, cutting roughly $61 million in projected tax obligations, per Fadeaway World. Four days later, they shipped Isaiah Joe to the Detroit Pistons for two more picks, shaving an additional $76 million off the tax bill.
The flurry of moves dropped OKC's projected luxury tax penalty from a catastrophic $213 million to about $18.8 million above the second apron. The NBA's second apron is a hard spending limit that restricts how teams can build their rosters. Getting under it was essential before locking in Hartenstein's new deal, according to Hoops Rumors.
Mutual Option and Trade Kicker Preserve 2028 Flexibility
The contract structure is unusual. Hartenstein's agents at CAA Sports — Andrew Morrison and Aaron Mintz — negotiated a mutual option after the 2027-28 season instead of a standard team or player option, according to BasketNews. That means both sides must agree to exercise it, giving OKC and Hartenstein shared leverage heading into the repeater tax window.
The 15 percent trade kicker adds more options. If OKC trades Hartenstein, his salary increases by 15 percent, which must be factored into any deal. CBA analysts note the mutual option functions in practice as a player-friendly safety valve — one that gives Hartenstein security while letting the Thunder frame a potential 2028 split cleanly, per Hoops Rumors.
Hartenstein Anchored OKC Defense Through Finals Run
Hartenstein posted 9.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game in the regular season on 62.2 percent shooting, per StatMuse. In the playoffs, he averaged 9.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. He was OKC's primary defender on Victor Wembanyama during the Western Conference Finals, a seven-game loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
General manager Sam Presti called Hartenstein a "major factor" in the team's success at his end-of-season press conference, according to NBC Sports. Presti blamed a "lack of continuity" from injuries for the Finals exit rather than any individual failure. Hartenstein, for his part, said he focused on "staying present" despite contract uncertainty hanging over him through the postseason.
Draft Adds Frontcourt Depth Behind Holmgren and Hartenstein
OKC also used the No. 12 overall pick in the 2026 draft on 7-foot-3 Spanish center Aday Mara from Michigan, according to Sports Illustrated. Analysts described Mara as a size-specific answer to Wembanyama, able to play in "double-big" lineups that OKC couldn't deploy last season. Thomas Sorber, a 2025 No. 15 pick who sat out last year with a torn ACL, adds more long-term upside.
Jaylin Williams is also expected to play a bigger rotation role alongside Hartenstein and Holmgren after a strong playoff showing. OKC added five future second-round picks in a single week through the Joe, Wiggins, and draft-day trades, per Fadeaway World. The moves signal that Presti is stacking assets while keeping the championship core — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams — intact through at least 2029.
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