Despite watching starting center Isaiah Hartenstein return from a 16-game absence due to a calf injury, would the Oklahoma City Thunder consider making a trade for a center, as ESPN's Brian Windhorst is alluding to? The longtime NBA insider is hearing the Thunder are interested in trading for a big ahead of next week's deadline.
Without Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, and Ajay Mitchell, the Thunder surrendered a 123-111 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a Western Conference Finals rematch on Thursday. Oklahoma City's slew of injuries, coupled with Hartenstein's contract, are two key reasons as to why the Thunder would look to make a move, Windhorst said, per ESPN's The Hoop Collective.
“I’ve actually heard the Oklahoma City Thunder’s name in some trade chatter, and you look at this team, and you say, wait a minute, this team is, you know, 66 wins or whatever they had last year, champions, when they’ve been healthy this year, they’ve been unstoppable,” Windhorst said.
“Why would the Oklahoma City Thunder’s name be out there? And why would the Oklahoma City Thunder’s name be out there, potentially looking at centers?”
Would the Thunder front office be considering moving on from starting center Isaiah Hartenstein? Windhorst believes it's a possibility, considering Hartenstein has one year left on his current deal, which is a team option, coming up. Amidst a ton of injuries, Oklahoma City has struggled, with an 8-6 record over its last 14 games.
Perhaps the Thunder are seeking frontcourt depth for the second half of the regular season and the playoffs, as ESPN's Brian Windhorst also mentioned. Considering the many setbacks Williams has gone through since his All-NBA campaign last season, Oklahoma City has undoubtedly missed his NBA All-Defense approach, as he missed the first 19 games of the season due to his right wrist injury.
Then, Williams suffered a hamstring injury, which has forced him to miss the past six consecutive games.
Thunder players react to Isaiah Hartenstein's return
The Thunder missed its starting center. Thunder teammates reacted to Isaiah Hartenstein's long-awaited return ahead of Thursday's matchup against the Timberwolves. Isaiah Joe discussed how Hartenstein's size was surely missed over the past 16 games.
“It helps with size. It helps with everything — he’s an all-around player,” Joe said. “He rebounds, he screens, he creates action. He makes it easier for everybody else on the floor. Just having his presence out there can be menacing. So, having him back is a big piece.”
Thunder veteran Lu Dort says Hartenstein's impact on the glass is just one of the many ways the defending champions' starting center was missed.
“It’s great, especially the impact he has on the rebounds,” Dort said. “He’s hard to get out of the paint. So it’s going to help, definitely.”
The Thunder will look to bounce back from its 12-point loss to the Timberwolves on Sunday against the Nuggets.
