Thunder free agency: Ranking the best available bigs in 2024

2. Isaiah Hartenstein

As noted earlier, the Thunder have frequently been found linked as being a possible threat to steal away one of New York's prized bigs in free agency this summer, and that said big is Isaiah Hartenstein.

The 26-year-old found himself putting forth career-best efforts throughout the 2023-24 campaign, as he went on to register averages of 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 blocks a night.

He would then go on to up his productivity under the bright lights of the postseason, where he dropped 8.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and just shy of a block per game on 59.2 percent shooting from the floor and 50.0 percent shooting from deep during their highly entertaining and competitive two-round journey.

As a result of his play, Hartenstein has drawn significant attention from frontcourt-needy teams ahead of this summer's free agency, and is expected to draw in "at least $80 million, and perhaps upward of $100 million," according to Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer.

To many, this number is worth it for the Thunder to bring in a player of Hartenstein's ilk, as he provides a sturdy build (7-foot-1, 249 pounds), strong defense, consistent rebounding, and the potential to space the floor on the offensive end.

In other words, everything Sam Presti is looking for in a big.

According to a recent report by HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, there's "a lot of intrigue" coming from the Thunder concerning a Hartenstein signing, though they "would look at doing short-term deals" if they were to make a move in free agency.

Should the sixth-year pro be open to inking a shorter-term contract for a chance to win now, then he could prove to be a pristine addition to this ball club. However, being he could warrant such a large sum of money and, simultaneously, may be looking for longer-term security, Hartenstein falls shy of being the top-ranked free agent big that the Thunder could look to add this offseason.