The OKC Thunder made several moves this summer. From trading beloved veteran Lu Dort to letting promising young big Brandon Carlson walk, Sam Presti and company took part in a ton of significant dealings.
Of course, not all involved a player heading for the exits. In fact, amid the bevy of departures, Oklahoma City managed to pull off a signing that ESPN's Zach Kram is tabbing as "one of the best of the offseason."
At the start of the summer, Isaiah Hartenstein and the Thunder agreed to a new $75 million contract that runs through the 2028–29 season.
News of such a signing came as a serious shock to most fans and pundits, for all season it seemed as if the writing was on the wall for the cash-strapped ball club and the big man to part ways. The fact that the Thunder added 7-footer Aday Mara in this past June's lottery only made his departure appear all the more likely.
However, instead of being a second apron casualty, the 28-year-old earned himself a three-year extension, which, in Kram's eyes, when compared to "the high-priced contracts for other centers" across the league, is a real bargain.
Isaiah Hartenstein more than satisfied with taking paycut with Thunder
Kram isn't the only one who views Hartenstein's deal as a steal of a signing.
The big man himself recently went on record to reveal that while he "was aware of my market value," in order to remain with the Thunder, "I had to accept a slightly lower salary."
When lined up next to the average annual values of guys like Walker Kessler ($32.36M) and Myles Turner ($27.21M), for example, it's quite clear that this championship-tested pivot's $25 million AAV is at the least slightly undervalued.
Fortunately, he seems perfectly content with this.
While discussing his newly inked payday, Hartenstein noted that he "really wanted to stay with this team for the long term," for he believes they still give him the best chance to "continue playing for a title contender."
Unfortunately for his wallet, the new CBA and its second apron threshold made it necessary for him to understand that taking less money was something he "had to accept for the sake of the team."
Despite falling short of his full potential earnings, I-Hart is focusing on the bright side of his decision to re-up, noting that what he's earning now is "still a lot of money" and stressing his excitement over continuing to chase dynasty status with the Thunder for the next several years to come.
Each season since Hartenstein initially joined OKC back in the summer of 2024, the club has finished no lower than having the best record in the entire association, has been eliminated from the playoffs no earlier than the conference finals, and, in 2025, won its first NBA Finals.
Along the way, the big man has posted impressive per-game averages of 10.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and just shy of a block while boasting an elite defensive rating of 103 per 100 possessions.
This kind of success, matched with this kind of per-game production, is without question worth holding onto for another three seasons at a below market rate.
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