Despite having limited roster space, the OKC Thunder managed to make a number of additions to their talent pool this summer. For the most part, said moves are being widely celebrated.
However, for Isaiah Hartenstein, such add-ons serve as hints of what's to come for his future with the organization.
Last offseason, the big man signed the richest free agency contract in franchise history, agreeing to terms on a three-year, $87 million deal.
A year later, it's clear that his arrival in the Sooner State has worked wonders both for the ball club and his direct frontcourt running mates, as he and Chet Holmgren formulated one of the most menacing one-two punches in the entire association while the Thunder ultimately wound up winning their first championship since relocating from Seattle.
Now, heading into the team's follow-up run, Hartenstein finds himself locked in on a guaranteed salary and ready to contribute toward what is hoped to become the league's first repeat title in nearly a decade.
Oddly enough, despite still having two years left on his pact and the opportunity for the Thunder to become a legitimate dynasty, many are treating this exciting upcoming 2025-26 season as the veteran's final go-around with the club, for, based on the offseason decision-making by GM Sam Presti, all signs suggest a premature parting of ways is on the horizon.
2025-26 may very well be Isaiah Hartenstein's last with Thunder
Soon after Hartenstein put pen to paper on his three-year deal with the Thunder, many were under the impression that his tenure would not be fully experienced.
As the details show, the first two seasons of the contract are fully guaranteed, securing the 27-year-old a minimum of $58.5 million with the agreement.
His final year in 2026-27, however, is a club option, a luxury many initially suspected could be declined if/ when Presti and company dropped big bucks on their core trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Holmgren.
This offseason, the aforementioned "when" officially arrived, as OKC committed upwards of $822 million in new money to their Big Three alone. In this modern era of harrowing tax penalties, cutting down on costs in any way possible is a must, which only makes club options all the more valuable.
In turn, these slew of moves seemingly make I-Hart a lame duck center.
As things currently stand, the Thunder's projected payroll for 2026-27 is at $254,784,525, nearly $50 million over the second apron threshold. Hartenstein alone will be the fourth-largest payday on the team should he stay for his third year of the deal at a worth of $28.5 million.
With how the Celtics are currently being ripped apart by the game's harsh tax penalties, Oklahoma City has seemingly been planning ahead to ensure that, even with their summer spending spree, they don't succumb to the same type of fate.
A clear example of these steps of preparation is their decision to include a third-year option into Hartenstein's deal right from the jump.
Now, with the selection of Thomas Sorber in this past June's draft and the re-signing of Branden Carlson to a second consecutive two-way deal, the writing appears to already be on the wall that 2025-26 will be the big man's last with the Thunder.