Isaiah Hartenstein’s Oklahoma City Thunder regular-season debut is on hold.
A recent addition to the organization has suffered a minor, non-displaced fracture in his left hand, the team announced Thursday. Medical professionals will re-evaluate his condition in five to six weeks.
The 26-year-old suffered the injury during the second half of Tuesday’s exhibition against the Denver Nuggets. The Thunder will be without him until at least the end of November.
This past summer, Hartenstein inked a three-year, $87 million deal with the Thunder, which includes a team option for the final season. The signing aims to bolster a squad that reached the second round of the 2024 playoffs and could benefit from his size and defensive prowess. Standing at 7 feet tall, Hartenstein earned a reputation as one of the league’s toughest rebounders and rim protectors with the New York Knicks. Oklahoma City now eagerly anticipates how his skills will impact the team.
The Thunder had used Hartenstein in various roles throughout the preseason, running him alongside fellow big man Chet Holmgren to create jumbo lineups that could scare away any dribblers or cutters hoping to get to the basket. It wasn’t just the defense that made Hartenstein into a valuable option. OKC used him as a facilitator in its second unit, finding creative ways to get him the basketball around the elbows and watching him slice passes to cutters and spot-up shooters in the process.
Five weeks from the injury announcement falls on November 21, during which Hartenstein would miss the Thunder’s first 16 regular-season games. Extending his absence to six weeks would result in him missing 18 games. Additionally, being “re-evaluated” in five to six weeks doesn’t guarantee his return by then; it simply means the team will offer another update around that time.
The Thunder enter this season with high expectations, having become the youngest team ever to secure a No. 1 seed in 2023-24. OKC retains most of its youthful core and has bolstered its roster by acquiring Hartenstein and defensive specialist Alex Caruso in a summer trade.
Hartenstein averaged 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 blocks for the Knicks last season.