The Oklahoma City Thunder landed a big fish this offseason when they convinced Isaiah Hartenstein to ditch the New York Knicks for a three-year, $87 million deal.
The 26-year-old immediately shores up weaknesses for OKC in size and rebounds. He also adds another dimension to the Thunder they previously didn’t have as a traditional center.
When Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren are on the court together, the Thunder will have two of the best paint protectors in the league roaming around and deterring drivers to the basket.
In attendance to support his new teammates, Holmgren talked about the possibilities of the double-big lineup. He played it safe with his response.
“We don’t know what we’ll look like,” Holmgren said in an interview with NBA TV. “We’re gonna figure out how to be the best version of ourselves for sure.”
The 22-year-old kept his excitement hidden but paired up with Hartenstein is the perfect fit for the two centers. The Thunder fortified a weakness and now have one of the best backup centers in the league.
