Long have the OKC Thunder been presumed to be interested in pursuing a perimeter-shooting wing or spark plug scoring punch off the pine this trade season. However, recent happenings may influence them to now broaden their search a tad.
Wednesday, it was announced that standout starting center Isaiah Hartenstein sustained a left soleus strain during their latest bout against the Philadelphia 76ers. As a result, he's slated to be sidelined for at least the next week, leaving the Thunder big man-less for yet another extended stretch this season.
Considering their ongoing struggles with frontcourt dependability (all three of I-Hart, Chet Holmgren, and Jaylin Williams have missed substantial time with injuries), this latest news should serve as a sign that it might be in Oklahoma City's best interest to look into adding extra big men options to their arsenal this trade season.
Should Sam Presti and company see this as a valuable endeavor, there are three players, in particular, that must be high on their radar ahead of February's deadline.
Big men Thunder must consider pursuing after Isaiah Hartenstein injury
Isaiah Stewart
A high-energy, hard-nosed, rough and tough talent like Isaiah Stewart could be an absolute dream of a pick-up during this year's trade season for the OKC Thunder.
Throughout his five-year career in the association, the big man has built a reputation of being a strong and menacing force down in the frontcourt who can gobble up boards (14.1 per 100 possessions) and swat shots (2.0 blocks per 100 possessions) at a high-end level.
Last season, he even managed to up his stock as a floor-spacer, as he cashed home on 38.2 percent of his three-pointers while adding in 10.9 points per night.
Bringing aboard this kind of player would not only be beneficial from an insurance big perspective, but, considering his inside-out style of play, the Thunder could realistically find ways to utilize him even when both Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren are back and healthy and, in turn, roll out always coveted two-big, five-out lineups.
On top of this, still at the ripe young age of 23 and attached to a reasonably priced deal that spans through 2028, the addition of Stewart would be as much of a win-now move as it would be a long-term, big-picture one.
Larry Nance Jr.
Moving in a bit of an opposite direction, should the Thunder solely wish to pursue short-term help that could aid in their chances of winning this season, a veteran like Larry Nance Jr. could be the exact player they're looking for.
A Swiss Army Knife type of talent, now in his 10 season in the league the tweener big finds himself producing at a rather impressive rate when given minutes on the hardwood.
Through 15 games played with the Hawks, the veteran is posting impressive all-around averages of 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and just shy of a block while shooting 58.5 percent from the floor and 50.0 percent from distance.
In many ways, Nance is the ideal player for Mark Daigneault's rotation, as he's a highly versatile, multi-positional, lengthy baller who has a proven and trusty track record of being a sturdy presence on the less glamorous side of the ball.
For a team in need of a low-maintenance player who can slot in at either the four or five, provide solid defense, and steadily make shots from inside and beyond the arc, there aren't many other options out there that are better than Larry Nance Jr.
Day'Ron Sharpe
The concept of pursuing the likes of Day'Ron Sharpe would essentially be a BOGO for the Thunder this trade season.
One of the biggest rumors regarding Oklahoma City's interests ahead of the February 6 deadline is that they're strongly interested in trading for Brooklyn Nets sharpshooter Cameron Johnson to help address both their lacking power forward position as well as their pedestrian long-range shooting (rank 19 in the association).
In the event that they do pull the trigger on a trade for the sixth-year pro, they may also want to make a push at a packaged deal where they bring along his teammate in Sharpe to improve their big man depth all in one fell swoop.
At 6-foot-9, 265 pounds the 23-year-old boasts an intimidating build that Oklahoma City currently does not possess within their reserves, while his ability to set screens, defend the rim, and pull down boards would be welcomed to the team with open arms.
Though far from a star in the making, with per-game averages of 7.6 points and 5.8 rebounds on 47.0 percent shooting from the field his on-paper metrics only further strengthen what the eye test shows in that Day'Ron Sharpe is a sound contributor at the NBA level who could serve as a quality, low-usage backup big for spot minutes throughout the rest of the season or whenever injuries once again start to pile up.