The Oklahoma City Thunder seem geared to make another run at winning the title this season. Despite suffering a 123-111 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, the Thunder still possess a league-best record of 38-11, firmly securing their position atop the Western Conference table.
While this already speaks volumes about the team’s competence and roster strength, league sources suggest that the Thunder could be expected to make some upgrades before the trade deadline. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst shed more light on this on the “Brian Windhorst and The Hoop Collective” podcast recently.
“I’ve heard the Oklahoma City Thunder’s name in some chatter,” Windhorst began. “You’d look at this time, and you say, ‘Wait a minute, this team had 66 wins or whatever they had last year. Champions.’ When they’ve been healthy this year, they’ve been unstoppable. Why would the Oklahoma City Thunder’s name be out there? And why would their name be out there, potentially looking at centers?”
Windhorst joked that if Thunder GM Sam Presti were on the podcast, he would outright deny such claims, highlighting that the franchise doesn’t operate on rumors and speculation. However, the insider backed up his claim with an interesting point during his appearance on “NBA Today,” stating:
“I haven’t heard the Thunder name in trade talks for the last two years, until the last couple of days. I think it’s more of a reaction of looking for opportunities than it is them addressing the situation.”
For the most part, in accordance with Windhorst’s own statement, the notion of OKC being interested in making moves at the deadline does not seem logical. However, considering that certain salary cap constraints could come into play next season, this may be driven by the desire to maintain some flexibility.
The Thunder May Place Isaiah Hartenstein On The Trade Block
According to Brian Windhorst’s report, the Oklahoma City Thunder are considering making an upgrade in their frontcourt, particularly their big man rotation. On this note, one player that seems to be emerging in recent trade chatter is Isaiah Hartenstein.
The Thunder big man has been a key player in the rotation during his two years with the franchise. While providing a solid inside presence, Hartenstein also contributes as a versatile playmaker and scorer.
Hartenstein’s greatest asset has been his positional flexibility, which has enabled the Thunder to deploy him in various settings. However, he has primarily been used as a counterpoint to Chet Holmgren in the starting lineup.
The reason for placing the big man on the trade block may stem from his upcoming pay rise, considering that he has a $29 million team option for next season. With the Thunder already committing a significant amount of their available cap space to the trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams after offering them extensions in the offseason, OKC may not have as much flexibility as desired.
At 27, Isaiah Hartenstein is averaging 11.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 64.0% from the field. With a cap hit of $28.5 million this season, the Thunder could look at offloading him for more team-friendly contracts.
In a more ambitious move, OKC could also attempt to pursue a star-caliber center lsuch as Ivica Zubac, who has generated some trade interest lately. Regardless, it will be interesting to see what the Thunder will come away with in the days leading up to the trade deadline.
