Heading into round one of the 2025 NBA Draft, there were many different approaches the OKC Thunder were believed to be considering.
From moving up into the lottery to trading out from day one of the festivities altogether, the possibilities seemed to be endless for Oklahoma City when it came to how they could ultimately best utilize their two first-rounders.
In the end, while they did opt to part ways with their 24 overall pick on the night, the Thunder wound up holding strong at their 15 overall draft slot, where they snatched up Georgetown center Thomas Sorber.
The consensus opinion regarding their decision to take the promising big man seems to be that OKC fared rather well, with some even going as far as to argue that they may have come away from the night with one of the biggest steals from this year's class.
However, despite the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the Sorber pick, there is one somber possible side effect from Sam Presti's selection that more people need to be aware of.
Thomas Sorber pick could cut Isaiah Hartenstein's Thunder tenure short
Last summer, the Thunder struck on their biggest free agency signing in franchise history with the addition of Isaiah Hartenstein, inking him to a three-year, $87 million payday.
At the time, Oklahoma City was in dire need of adding more size, physicality, and rebounding to their frontcourt arsenal alongside Chet Holmgren, and the 7-foot, 250-pound veteran seemed to possess both of these kinds of desired attributes and then some.
Fast forward a full year later, and it's apparent that the investment clearly paid off, as the ball club is coming off their first NBA Championship of the Sooner State era while Hartenstein put forth the best season of his career to date with averages of 11.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.1 blocks on 58.1 percent shooting from deep.
Now, despite this overwhelming success from both an individual and overall team standpoint, the Thunder find themselves heading into a rather complex time period as they look to keep a competitive roster around the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren while simultaneously trying to avoid dreaded penalties that come with dipping into the luxury tax.
It goes without saying that the aforementioned star trio isn't going anywhere anytime soon, as they will all be eligible for and are likely to sign lucrative, long-term extensions with OKC this coming summer.
However, with such commitments comes the guarantee that the club's payroll will skyrocket, which means tough decisions will need to be made to keep their financial situation at least somewhat manageable.
Even upon putting pen the paper on his deal, the idea of turning down Hartenstein's third-year option in 2026-27 (which would save the Thunder $28.5 million) is one that has always been rumored to be on the table.
Now, with Thomas Sarber's arrival, it essentially all but assures the fanbase that this is the path Presti and company are looking to go down.
At a fraction of the cost that Hartenstein's services are currently worth, Oklahoma City added arguably the best rim protector and lob-finisher in this year's draft class.
Still just 19 years old and fresh off a one-and-done season with the Hoyas, where he dropped 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.7 offensive boards, 2.4 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game, the 6-foot-10, 255-pound center not only has the makings of being a contributor within Mark Daigneault's rotation come next year, but for the many that are to follow.
Though perhaps sad to say, with the selection of Sarber, Presti and company made it cryptically clear that Isaiah Hartenstein is likely heading into his final season as a member of the Thunder.