June 28, 2026, 5:00 p.m. CT
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Atlanta Hawks have already agreed to one offseason trade this summer. The latter hoped they could’ve sparked up another before their dream acquisition idea was popped like a balloon on Friday night.
The Thunder are currently going through some roster changes for the first time in a couple of summers. Shaving off their tax bill, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins were dealt to the East. They hope that their upcoming tide of young talent will help make up for the difference.
As the rest of the NBA quickly realized the Thunder were in money-saving mode, the Hawks tried to see if they could get 50 cents on the dollar for one of their starters. They tried to acquire Isaiah Hartenstein, per NBA insider Marc Stein.
“Sources said that the Hawks, coming out of the draft, had some designs on trying to test Oklahoma City’s resolve when it came to Isaiah Hartenstein’s availability as part of their push to upgrade the center rotation,” Stein wrote. “They always understood that it would be an extreme long shot, but there was initially some hope that the combination of the Thunder’s decision to draft Michigan’s Aday Mara with the 12th overall pick and second apron concerns might make Hartenstein unexpectedly available.”
Of course, that plan fell through when the Thunder signed Hartenstein to a three-year, $75 million contract extension. He’ll be in OKC through the 2028-29 season — with the last year being a mutual option. Heading into the summer, the 28-year-old had a $28.5 million team option for the 2026-27 season that both sides completely scrapped up for this long-term deal.
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It’s a deal that makes sense for both sides. Hartenstein has been a home-run addition since the Thunder added him in 2024. He was a starter in their 2025 NBA championship run. Since he arrived in OKC, he’s enjoyed his best years as a double-double machine. Now, he gets to run it back for them for at least one year — under a very team-friendly and tradeable new contract.
The Thunder continue to beef up their frontcourt room. Mara is viewed as a long-term piece who could eventually replace Hartenstein. And of course, there’s still Thomas Sorber — who has yet to suit up after OKC added him with the No. 15 pick of the 2025 NBA draft.
There was always going to be a market for Hartenstein. He was viewed as one of the best possible center free agents this summer before his name was removed from the board. The Thunder showed their cards at how important he is to their operation by not messing around and getting a new deal inked up quickly.