Throughout this year's campaign, a major point of discussion regarding the OKC Thunder revolved around their looming payroll increase ahead of the 2026-27 campaign and how they could go about trying to avoid the dreaded second apron.
The popular belief seemed to be that, come the offseason, Sam Presti and company would be forced to make the tough, albeit objectively simple, decision to move on from big man Isaiah Hartenstein, as declining his third-year option would automatically save the club $28.5 million.
However, following two full rounds of playoff action, the folks at Bleacher Report seem to be singing a much different tune on this proposed plan.
In a recent piece, seasoned writer Grant Hughes argued that while declining Hartenstein's final year of his current pact could still be very much on the table, re-signing the veteran to a new, more financially friendly deal should be Oklahoma City's top priority during this summer's free agency period.
Of course, Hughes doesn't necessarily believe an opt-out of his final year under contract is as much of a guarantee as most previously thought, saying that they'd "probably only do that if they have a new long-term offer chambered and ready to go."
B/R's proposal great for Thunder big, though may send Lu Dort packing
Without question, this proposed turn of events would be great news for both Hartenstein and, frankly, the Thunder as a whole, as the big man has proven integral to their on-court dominance throughout his two-year tenure.
This season, in particular, Oklahoma City placed in the 98 percentile in point differential and boasted a ridiculous 103.2 defensive rating and 15.6 net rating with him on the hardwood.
Of course, in the event that the Thunder decide to hold onto I-Hart, they'd still need to shed some significant salary in order to avoid any of the league's newly implemented tax penalties.
Considering his status as the third-highest paid player currently on the roster, coupled with his slide in on-court production here in 2025-26, the consensus opinion seems to be that if Hartenstein isn't sent packing, Lu Dort could easily wind up being the next man in line to receive the boot.
Though a beloved member of the organization who has been in tow since the early stages of their post-Russell Westbrook retooling phase, the fact of the matter is he's on a comparatively lucrative contract (has an $18.22 million team option for next season) and plays a position where OKC has a bevy of higher-upside, younger talents at.
With the looming max contracts of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren set to kick in, it will take a few hard decisions for the Thunder to duck under the second apron.
Sadly, cutting ties with Dort may be both the most fiscally responsible and the easiest to make up for, rotation-wise, heading into next season.
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