At the start of the summer, big-time decisions had to be made. The Oklahoma City Thunder faced several roster dilemmas. This was always going to be a roster-changing offseason. But by the end of their NBA playoff run, most questions had answered themselves.
One being — who should OKC prioritize to keep, Lu Dort or Isaiah Hartenstein? The Thunder didn't need to split hairs on that. The latter proved to go from a luxury to a necessity. Meanwhile, Cason Wallace was ready to take over Dort's starting gig and responsibilities.
The Thunder made their choice. They signed Hartenstein to a three-year, $75 million deal. A fresh contract ensured he'd stay in OKC. All before he even had the chance to test the open market. Meanwhile, Dort's team option was picked up. But with the caveat of him being traded to the Atlanta Hawks a couple of weeks afterward.
Hartenstein recently told German media outlet 'Basket-World News' his reaction to OKC's busy offseason. The Thunder have lost some of their depth to avoid the second apron. But they made sure to keep the seven-footer for next season and beyond. He was too important to their success over the last two years. He talked about Dort's departure after previously being tied with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the longest-tenured Thunder player.
"There's always a human element involved. You probably spend more time with your teammates than with your own family over the course of the season. So you do grow very close," Hartenstein said. "But at the end of the day, we all know it's a business. I think Sam Presti at least put him in a good position. There are a lot of general managers who just send players off to some other team where they have no chance of winning or performing well. So at least I know he's in a good position and can play."
#meanwhile #offseason
One being — who should OKC prioritize to keep, Lu Dort or Isaiah Hartenstein? The Thunder didn't need to split hairs on that. The latter proved to go from a luxury to a necessity. Meanwhile, Cason Wallace was ready to take over Dort's starting gig and responsibilities.
The Thunder made their choice. They signed Hartenstein to a three-year, $75 million deal. A fresh contract ensured he'd stay in OKC. All before he even had the chance to test the open market. Meanwhile, Dort's team option was picked up. But with the caveat of him being traded to the Atlanta Hawks a couple of weeks afterward.
Hartenstein recently told German media outlet 'Basket-World News' his reaction to OKC's busy offseason. The Thunder have lost some of their depth to avoid the second apron. But they made sure to keep the seven-footer for next season and beyond. He was too important to their success over the last two years. He talked about Dort's departure after previously being tied with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the longest-tenured Thunder player.
"There's always a human element involved. You probably spend more time with your teammates than with your own family over the course of the season. So you do grow very close," Hartenstein said. "But at the end of the day, we all know it's a business. I think Sam Presti at least put him in a good position. There are a lot of general managers who just send players off to some other team where they have no chance of winning or performing well. So at least I know he's in a good position and can play."
#meanwhile #offseason
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