3 Instant Isaiah Hartenstein replacements Thunder must pursue ahead of regular season

Thursday, the OKC Thunder were hit with some unsettling news, as it was revealed that splashy offseason signing, Isaiah Hartenstein sustained a "small, non-displaced" left-hand fracture during their preseason matchup against the Denver Nuggets earlier this week.

Though not considered to be all that severe in the long-term, the current expectation is that the big man will be re-evaluated in five to six weeks as he nurses the ailment which, in turn, will leave him sidelined through at least mid-November.

This couldn't have come at a worse time for Oklahoma City.

Not only are they already down two other frontcourt talents with Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams out dealing with nagging hamstring and knee injuries, respectively, but they're also gearing up for the 2024-25 regular season which is less than a week away with opening night's tip-off scheduled for October 24 against, ironically, the Nuggets.

While the good news is the Thunder will eventually end up getting Hartenstein back in the fold, if this recent string of injuries has shown the ball club anything it's that they could still use some extra big bodies to have waiting in the reserves as a "break glass in case of emergency" type of talent.

During these dwindling days leading to opening night, there's a chance that Oklahoma City could consider pursuing such a commodity on the open market, for they still have one open roster spot available and have yet to use their MLE or veteran minimum luxuries.

Though pickings may be slim at this point in time, there are a few names, in particular, that could be worth GM Sam Presti taking a swing on.

Short-term Isaiah Hartenstein replacements OKC Thunder could sign

JaVale McGee

Not only are the Thunder currently lacking in big man depth but they're also a team with sights set on winning an NBA Championship heading into the 2024-25 season.

Because of this, maybe they could benefit from adding a player who can check off both of these boxes in one fell swoop, and JaVale McGee is someone still available on the free agency market that has experience aiding on both fronts.

Throughout his 16-year professional tenure, the 7-footer has made a name for himself serving as a trusty rim protector and rebound-getter while also finding meaningful minutes for three separate title-winning teams (twice with the Warriors, once with the Lakers).

For his career, McGee boasts averages of 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks while shooting 57.8 percent from the field and, despite it technically being the twilight years of his career, even last year with the Kings he posted highly efficient averages of 26.5 points, 18.1 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per 100 possessions accompanied by a 109 defensive rating through 46 games played.

On a cheap, short-term deal, there are far worse ways to use their last remaining roster spot than signing a proven winner who plays a position in need of bolstering like McGee.

Bismack Biyombo

Perhaps the safest choice when it comes to adding another big man is bringing on someone who's already familiar with the system coach Mark Daigneault prefers to run.

Bismack Biyombo spent half of the 2023-24 campaign with the Thunder, which, in turn, automatically makes him the clear-cut target for the club should they choose to go down this route.

Though he saw extremely limited action with Oklahoma City, prior to his arrival he was regularly used within the lineup for the Memphis Grizzlies where, in 23.9 minutes through 30 games played, posted 5.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks on 56.3 percent shooting from the floor.

This level of production is far from earth-shattering. That said, it serves as a sign that if ever needed to slot in down at the five for spot or extended minutes, Biyombo is more than capable of snatching down boards, protecting the rim, and setting screens while the rest of the Thunder's core pursues more entertaining ventures in the scoring department.

On top of this, during his three-month tenure the veteran quickly became a favorite among both the fanbase and, most importantly, his teammates, so adding him back to the roster could simultaneously go on to have a major positive effect on this locker room.

Danilo Gallinari

Though he may not directly fill the void that Isaiah Hartenstein's injury creates from a contributions perspective per se, Danilo Gallinari's addition to the rotation could still bring on a much-needed size replacement to the frontcourt rotation (measures in at 6-foot-10) while also adding someone who, in theory, could serve as a complimentary piece at the four while Chet Holmgren mans the five.

A scorer and floor-spacer by nature, throughout his 16-year NBA tenure the Italian-born baller has registered career averages of 14.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 38.1 percent from distance.

Even last season, despite having come off an ACL tear from the year prior, Gallo still saw himself posting 7.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game on 45.1 percent shooting from the floor and 35.5 percent shooting from distance through roughly the first four months of the campaign before his trade to the Milwaukee Bucks and, ultimately, being used as an end-of-bench participant.

With I-Hart now heading to the sidelines for the next month and change, this automatically thrusts Holmgren back to the pivot which, like last season, leaves the Thunder with question marks surrounding their power forward spot.

Bringing on Gallinari may not provide them with the center they now lack without Hartenstein and J-Will, but it could provide them with a more traditional and enviably-sized option to have logging minutes at the four.