In just his first season out in the Sooner State, Isaiah Hartenstein proved himself to be an integral part of the rotation that led the OKC Thunder to their first title run in franchise history.
With his elite board-gobbling skills, ferocious rim-protecting prowess, and criminally underrated passing game, the 27-year-old was a multi-faceted contributor who plugged many vital holes within coach Mark Daigneault's scheme throughout their championship journey.
Now, heading into year two of his three-year deal, both the big man and Oklahoma City will be looking to run things back and become the first club to repeat since the 2018 Warriors.
And while some may feel encouraged to know that this core with Hartenstein technically is under team control through 2026-27, sadly, it's becoming more obvious by the day that this coming campaign will likely be the last with the 7-footer in tow.
Isaiah Hartenstein more than likely entering final season with Thunder
Hartenstein inked a lucrative three-year, $85 million deal with the Thunder early in the 2024 free agency period, and, from the jump, many outsiders viewed the contract figure as a sizeable overpay.
However, now over a year later, the pact is being perceived in a far more genius and highly strategic light, as the third year of the deal is under team control with a club option.
This particular detail is incredibly valuable when considering Oklahoma City is currently slated to be north of $20 million over the second apron for that very season following the re-signing of guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren this summer.
Because of this, any opportunity for Sam Presti and company to cut down on their finances is something they will need to take.
Unfortunately, this likely means opting out of Hartenstein's final year with the organization.
For the 2026-27 season, the big man is on track to make a whopping $28.5 million, which equates to 16.75 percent of the cap.
Considering this will be when the max extensions of SGA, J-Dub, and Chet kick in, as well as when Cason Wallace will be due for a rookie extension himself, it only seems logical that the final year of I-Hart's deal would be scrapped from the books to avoid crippling tax penalties.
Though the Thunder have seemingly already prepared for Hartenstein's departure with their decision to select Thomas Sorber 15 overall in this past June's NBA Draft, it by no means makes the idea of the fan-favorite center departing prematurely any easier to accept.