Although the LA Clippers found their dream backup center in Brook Lopez, it took years of patience, which came with regret, after the front office made a poor decision regarding Isaiah Hartenstein. They heard Paul George loud and clear, as far as who he wanted on the team, and listened, as evidenced by their signing of John Wall.
As expected, through outlining, it was clear that Wall was aging and far from the player he was with the Washington Wizards. Thus, he only made it to game 34 with the Clippers before being traded and waived by the Houston Rockets, who did not want to experience a second stint with the five-time All-Star.
On the other hand, Hartenstein progressed through his career to achieve legendary feats with the New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder. He is not an All-Star, but he is also not someone a franchise like the Clippers should have seamlessly moved on from, as the seven-year veteran is one of the few role-playing centers that could be regarded as franchise pieces.
Moreover, Hartenstein now has a championship to showcase to the Clippers, along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as he dominated for the Thunder, averaging 8.1 points and 7.5 rebounds in 16 playoff wins.
Conversely, the Thunder have a similar dilemma to the one the Clippers faced years ago with Hartenstein, and they must avoid making the same mistake. He will instill pain in every team that passed on him or chose not to send a reasonable check.
The Oklahoma City Thunder should call fans of the LA Clippers to know what not to do regarding Isaiah Hartenstein’s future with the franchise
Jaylin Williams makes the Oklahoma City Thunder's center rotation elite, but there is only one Isaiah Hartenstein, and he is the main reason why their fan base is not concerned about having someone to fill the role of a traditional big man.
Furthermore, Hartenstein is approaching his near-thirty-million-dollar player option, specifically $28.5 million, yet the Thunder have several star extensions set to be activated within their payroll.
Thus, the Thunder may look to trade Hartenstein once he is expectedly to opt in. Conversely, this would be a tremendous mistake, as his fit with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren is irreplaceable.
Oklahoma City’s front office should do everything possible to retain Hartenstein, and strategies such as trading others or negotiating a discount could be worth exploring.