Following their second-round demise against the more physically dominant Dallas Mavericks, it was widely believed that the OKC Thunder should look to bolster their frontcourt rotation this offseason by adding both size and strength to their arsenal.
On day two of the official 2024 NBA Free Agency period, Sam Presti and company went about and did just that, as they inked one of this summer's top-billed available bigs, Isaiah Hartenstein, to a three-year, $87 million deal.
ESPN Sources: Free agent C Isaiah Hartenstein has agreed on a three-year, $87 million deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Hartenstein leave the Knicks for the top West seed eager to add his size, skill and physicality. pic.twitter.com/gbOpAw1Gsx
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2024
Follow-up moves Thunder must make after Isaiah Hartenstein signing
With this signing, the Thunder can officially check off "add another big" on their summer to-do list, which means they can now look to address a few other specific rotational needs with their remaining spending power.
1. Add one more true big for insurance purposes
Yes, the whole idea behind signing Hartenstein was to add much-needed size, rebounding skills, and paint-protection to the ball club's talented, albeit featherweight frontcourt.
While he does certainly provide these types of intangibles to the rotation, they are still somewhat shy in the depth department when it comes to players who can reliably provide these services.
As a way to strengthen the unit even more, the Thunder might want to consider going after another big-bodied talent still residing on the free agency market, though at a much lower rate than what they shelled out to Hartenstein.
As of this writing, seasoned veterans such as JaVale McGee and Tristan Thompson are still available and could help provide proven nitty-gritty intangibles and championship experience while raw project talents who have yet to reach their full potentials in James Wiseman and Mo Bamba could also be interesting options to consider taking a swing on with low-cost deals.
Either way, even with Hartenstein now in the fold, Oklahoma City may still want to consider adding another big into the mix as a mere insurance policy.