Jan. 31, 2026, 8:00 p.m. CT
If you spent any time on social media the last few days, I’m sure you’ve noticed the Isaiah Hartenstein buzz. Not even a full 24 hours after he returned from a month-long absence, your favorite aggregation account likely ran with what ESPN’s ‘Hoop Collective’ podcast said.
Could the Oklahoma City Thunder trade Hartenstein? Brian Windhorst pondered the hypothetical. He has a $28.5 million team option for the 2026-27 season. The reigning NBA champions aren’t in urgency mode yet to make a decision.
Let’s just state the obvious — no, the Thunder will not trade Hartenstein before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. He’s just simply too important a player. The 27-year-old has averaged 11.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists this season.
The Thunder dominated the NBA last season and brought home the Larry O’Brien trophy partially because of Hartenstein’s ascension into an important starter. The advanced metrics absolutely love what he brings to both sides of the ball. There’s a reason why their rebounding plummets and secondary offense gets muddy in his absence.
Also, Windhorst never suggested Hartenstein could be traded within the week. If you listened to the full podcast, he had Bobby Marks list out some interesting names regarding expiring deals and trade candidates. His mention segued to Windhorst hearing OKC could be in the market for a backup center.
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It led to folks grouping the two thoughts when they were two separate entities. To further prove that, Windhorst went on ESPN to say the Thunder could get a backup center. Nothing about Hartenstein. So everybody can chill out a bit.
The Thunder will be due for some big decisions this upcoming offseason. One will be who they bring back. Hartenstein could be due for a contract extension with OKC. He could also see his option declined and walk for another payday elsewhere.
Nobody truly knows yet what the Thunder will do. How the playoffs end up could make up their minds. What we do know is that Hartenstein will be part of that group. They won an NBA championship with this cast of characters last season. I think that justifiably bought them another playoff run together to see what happens.
I don’t even want to call this a rumor, but it’s the latest example of how out-of-context lines can snowball on social media. Windhorst never suggested he’s heard that the Thunder are open to dealing Hartenstein within the next few days.