The Oklahoma City Thunder, somewhat surprisingly, were among the active teams at this year's trade deadline.
They acquired Jared McCain from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for a first-round pick and a trio of second-round picks. They also shipped off Ousmane Dieng to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Mason Plumlee, who they waived to create the roster spot for McCain. Dieng was traded multiple times, ultimately ending up on the Milwaukee Bucks.
All in all, it was a successful deadline for Oklahoma City. They took an upside swing on a creative young guard who should be an immediate addition to their rotation once he gets acclimated.
Yet they still have a lingering problem this offseason. Isaiah Hartenstein has a $28 million club option, and the Thunder still have no immediate options to replace him if his departure becomes necessary.
It's not the end of the world, but it's something that will need to be reckoned with.
Thunder must find an answer to their Isaiah Hartenstein problem this offseason
It's not as though Oklahoma City lacks organizational depth. With the McCain trade, they added to a strong, undeveloped young core that will eventually supplement their budding stars.
But reality must be faced. Hartenstein's $28 million salary is unsustainable given the financial commitments the team has next season. He will need to be replaced.
The hope was that Thomas Sorber, whom the Thunder drafted 15th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, would eventually develop into an option to replace Hartenstein. Sorber tore his ACL in an offseason workout and has yet to play a single minute in the NBA.
Meanwhile, there were rumblings that Oklahoma City could look to add an insurance option at the deadline in case Hartenstein suffered another injury. They only had the option to create one roster spot by dealing Dieng, and that spot was used on McCain.
The Thunder are now left with very little idea of who can truly replace Hartenstein. If Sorber had played this year, or they had added a center on an expiring contract at the deadline, they would have at least had a trial run.
This is magnified by the importance of Hartenstein's role. His rebounding and defensive skill-sets are vital to the versatility of the Thunder's rotation. Not just any big man can replace him.
Now, Oklahoma City will start from scratch as they enter the offseason. Perhaps the McCain trade was the right move, but they could soon pay the price for it.