Oklahoma City Thunder Rumors

Isaiah Hartenstein To Make Thunder Debut Wednesday

November 20th, 2024 at 7:18pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein is set to play his first regular season game for his new team on Wednesday against the Trail Blazers, per Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated.

Hartenstein had previously been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday’s contest after missing the first 15 games of the season.

Following a breakout year on a 50-win Knicks team in 2023/24, Hartenstein inked a three-season, $87MM deal with Oklahoma City over the summer. The seven-foot vet fractured his hand during the club’s preseason and has been on the shelf for the past five weeks.

Hartenstein’s comeback arrives not a moment too soon. Starting center Chet Holmgren has missed the last six contests with a hip fracture, while reserve big man Jaylin Williams has been sidelined due to a hamstring strain.

In the absence of his top three centers, head coach Mark Daigneault had been starting 6’5″ forward Jalen Williams at the five.

Stiles tweets that Hartenstein will come off the bench in his Thunder debut, while Williams will remain the club’s starting center against Portland.

Hartenstein, 26, emerged as a critical two-way interior force on the upstart Knicks last year. Across 75 healthy regular season contests (49 starts), he averaged 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks a night. He proved even more invaluable during the playoffs, as many of his regular season rotation comrades fell by the wayside due to injuries.

Injury Notes: Hartenstein, Pelicans, N. Powell, P. Williams

November 20th, 2024 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

One of the top free agent acquisitions of the summer could make his debut for his new team as soon as Wednesday night. As Tim MacMahon of ESPN relays (via Twitter), Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein has been upgraded to questionable for the first time this season.

Hartenstein appeared in three preseason games with the Thunder last month, but fractured his left hand just before the regular season began. At the time, the club said he would be reevaluated in about five-to-six weeks. That was just under five weeks ago, so if Hartenstein is activated for Wednesday’s matchup with Portland, he would beat his initial recovery timeline.

It’s worth noting that after Wednesday’s game, Oklahoma City will have four days off before beginning a four-game road trip on Monday in Sacramento, so if Hartenstein doesn’t play vs. Portland, he’ll have a few more days to gear up for his season debut. His return will be a major boon to a Thunder team that has also been missing centers Chet Holmgren and Jaylin Williams due to injuries and could badly use a frontcourt presence.

Here are a few more health-related updates from around the NBA:

The Pelicans‘ injured list continues to grow. Already missing six regulars, the team has ruled out Brandon Ingram (bilateral ankle sprain) and Trey Murphy (right hamstring injury management) for the second end of a back-to-back set on Wednesday vs. Cleveland, per a team release. Rookie center Yves Missi, who has started the club’s past 10 games, is listed as questionable due to left shoulder soreness.
Clippers wing Norman Powell, who has been the team’s leading scorer so far this season with 23.3 points per game, has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Orlando due to a left hamstring strain, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. It’s not yet known whether Powell will have to miss additional time beyond that contest.
Bulls forward Patrick Williams will miss Wednesday’s game in Milwaukee, having returned to Chicago prior to the end of the team’s road trip in order to undergo imaging on his sore left foot (story via ESPN). The Bulls dubbed the testing as precautionary and it doesn’t sound like they believe there’s any real cause for concern, but it’s worth noting that Williams underwent surgery on that same foot in February.

Northwest Notes: Filipowski, George, Collier, D. Jones, Doncic, Vezenkov, Blazers

November 18th, 2024 at 11:29am CST by Tristan Tucker

Rookie center Kyle Filipowski‘s play continues to be one of the brightest spots of the Jazz‘s season so far, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. After claiming a starting role last week, Filipowski continues to pass test after test against some of the NBA’s best.

Filipowski is being targeted defensively in his rookie season, but he has responded admirably and recorded three steals against the Kings on Saturday.

“I guess that’s how it is for rookies, especially rookies that stand up to that sort of thing,” Filipowski said. “I gotta pull my big boy pants on, you know, and not back down from that challenge.”

The No. 32 pick in this year’s draft is averaging 7.9 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 55.2% from the field. In his past five games, including three starts, he has increased those averages to 12.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Keyonte George was benched in the second half of the Jazz‘s Sunday game against Los Angeles, Larsen writes in a separate story. Coach Will Hardy was clear about his reasoning after the game: “I wasn’t happy with Keyonte’s defense in the first half. Keyonte knows how much I believe in him, but sometimes you have to make changes in the moment to reinforce your point.” George played with the second unit and ended up playing the final 19 minutes of the game. He didn’t seem to be phased by the change after the game, Larsen writes. “Urgency levels should be at an all-time high no matter what — but we’re all humans,” George said. “I don’t know if you have a boss, but if they say you should take a break, when you come back you’re going to be on your Ps and Qs.” He’ll need to continue to improve on his decision-making, Larsen opines.
In George’s place, rookie guard Isaiah Collier started the second half and established career highs in minutes (26) and assists (8). Larsen writes in the same piece that Collier has been the Jazz‘s only true point guard and while he’s only getting to his own shot by beating the opposition in fast break situations (he’s shooting 11.1% from three), he’s helping the offense by taking care of the ball. “We know who our scorers are, we know where the ball needs to go,” Collier said. “Doing those little things, it definitely helped us int he second half.” The No. 29 overall pick in 2024 is averaging 4.3 PPG and 2.7 APG this year.
Thunder No. 26 overall pick Dillon Jones set career highs in points (12), minutes (15) and assists (3) on Sunday in a loss to Dallas. The Weber State product made all but one of his six shot attempts. Superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had nothing but praise for the first-round rookie, according to the Thunder’s Nick Gallo (Twitter link). “He’s getting his feet work, getting more comfortable… He’s doing a great job,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He’s keeping his head. He’s getting better. That’s all you can ask for.“
The Nuggets were close to trading up for Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic in the 2018 draft, former Denver Post writer Mike Singer said on Brian Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to RealGM). “The Nuggets knew that Vlade Divac was not particularly high on Luka Doncic,” Singer, now an employee of the Nuggets, said. “And they had designs on pairing Nikola Jokic with Luka Doncic. On draft night in 2018, they tried. There was a call placed. There was a proposal and the Nuggets attempted to get the No. 2 pick for Gary Harris and two first round picks was what I was told. You can roll your eyes at that price tag, but look in retrospect. The Kings ended up taking Marvin Bagley with the No. 2 pick. I’m not saying this trade was imminent. All I’m saying is this trade was discussed and considered because the Nuggets knew Vlade Divac was not particularly high on Luka Doncic and they tried to exploit it.”
The Nuggets also previously tried to acquire Sasha Vezenkov in 2016, the former Kings forward said in a podcast, per a report from Eurohoops.net. “Jokic called me back in 2016, way before he became a three-time MVP,” Vezenkov said. “Back then, he wasn’t a superstar. He told me the Nuggets wanted me. They were signing European players. But I hesitated. I was an insecure 20-year-old. After playing in Europe, they lost interest. I don’t think about it a lot, but I often wonder what could have been.” Vezenkov made his NBA debut last year for Sacramento, but he was traded and then bought out in the offseason as he decided to head back overseas.
After a 45-point loss last week, the Trail Blazers restored good vibes by winning three in a row, Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report writes. Shaedon Sharpe has 65 points in his last two games, rookie Donovan Clingan is standing out, and bench players like Dalano Banton have played well during the streak.

Northwest Notes: Edwards, Thunder, Hartenstein, Ayton

November 17th, 2024 at 5:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards racked up 36 points in an overtime win over the Kings on Friday. He also racked up a fine, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

Edwards was docked $35K by the league for making an obscene gesture on the playing court. The incident, which saw Edwards give a Sacramento fan the middle finger (Twitter link), occurred during the first quarter.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Chet Holmgren‘s pelvic injury has forced the Thunder to use smaller lineups. They got out-rebounded by 55 boards in the two-game span that followed Holmgren’s injury, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman notes, but also forced 48 turnovers in those contests. “A little bit is just the mentality of trying to get our best players on the court, regardless of position,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “That’s been something we’ve prioritized for a period of time now, and that’s often been perimeter players at different times, as it is now.”
It may not be long before the Thunder are able to use more traditional lineups. Key free agent pickup Isaiah Hartenstein was spotted working out and dunking during the pregame against Phoenix on Friday, Lorenzi tweets. Hartenstein, the former Knicks center, fractured his left hand last month.
Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton underwent imaging on his injured right index finger which revealed a deep contusion of the proximal phalanx, according to a team press release. Ayton sat out Sunday’s game against Atlanta and the team said additional updates will be provided as appropriate. The big man is averaging 13.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game this season.

Thunder Sign Branden Carlson

November 16th, 2024 at 9:34am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Thunder signed Branden Carlson, according to a release from the team (Twitter link via NBA insider Marc Stein). The deal is a one-year standard contract, per HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link).

Carlson was suiting up for the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League, to begin the season. The former Utah big man spent most of the offseason on a two-way contract with Toronto after going undrafted in 2024. However, he was waived in training camp to open up a two-way slot for Jamison Battle and wound up as a G League affiliate player. He averaged 14.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 51.5% from the field in his first three outings with the Raptors 905.

This signing comes off the heels of Malevy Leons being waived on Friday. The Thunder are using their 15th roster spot to cycle through big men while dealing with injuries in their frontcourt to Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Alex Reese opened the season on a standard deal before being waived in a favor of Leons. Now, the Thunder have swapped out Leons for Carlson.

It’s important to note that players and teams can’t agree to 10-day deals until January. So these signings are not official 10-day contracts, even if they’re being deployed in a similar fashion to them. Carlson’s deal is almost certainly structured like Reese’s and Leons’ were, making it a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary agreement. The Thunder had Reese on the roster from Oct. 22-29 and incurred a $79,804 cap hit for having him on the roster. Leons’ dead-money cap hit will come in a little above that.

Of course, the Thunder could opt to keep Carlson on the roster until or even after the league-wide salary guarantee date in January after he posted more than solid numbers in the G League. The 7’0″ center provides size and plenty of college experience as a five-year player at Utah, where he averaged 17.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks on a .501/.379/.714 shooting line in his final collegiate season.

Fischer’s Latest: Bucks, Caruso, Ingram, Johnson

November 16th, 2024 at 9:17am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Bucks still aren’t planning on engaging teams on potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trades anytime soon, but Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, echoing earlier reporting, confirms that they are looking for “perimeter defensive adjustments and reinforcements.”

As Fischer notes, Milwaukee’s trade options are limited as a team operating over the second apron. The team can’t package two or more player salaries for matching purposes or send out cash, for starters. According to Fischer, the Bucks are dangling their 2031 first-round pick as trade bait. They value that pick highly, as it would follow Antetokounmpo’s age-37 season.

MarJon Beauchamp was mentioned as a piece the Bucks were interested in moving in October. With his fourth-year option declined, Beauchamp is on the books for $2.7MM and is a free agent after the season. However, while packaging Beauchamp with that 2031 first-rounder seems like a decent offer for a role player, the Bucks couldn’t take back a player earning more than $2.7MM, significantly reducing their potential targets in that scenario.

Brook Lopez has been floated as a potential outgoing piece, but Fischer is skeptical the Bucks will look to move the big man, at least at this point. With Milwaukee trying to improve its defense, Lopez is someone the team might just be better off keeping to stay afloat on that end. Fischer – who reported in the offseason that Lopez was a possible trade candidate – said he hasn’t heard the veteran’s name come up much this season, for what it’s worth.

If the Bucks aren’t moving off either Damian Lillard or Khris Middleton, their only other potential trade pieces earning over $3MM are Bobby Portis ($12.6MM in 2024/25, player option for next season) and Pat Connaughton ($9.4MM in ’25/25, player option in ’25/26).

We have more sourced notes from Fischer:

An extension for the Thunder‘s Alex Caruso seems to be on the horizon, according to Fischer. That’s always been the goal since Oklahoma City acquired the defensive-minded guard in exchange for Josh Giddey this past summer. Caurso, whose extension eligibility remains limited for now, will become eligible for a deal worth up to four years and roughly $81MM as of Dec. 21, six months from the date he was acquired by OKC.
The Pelicans‘ injuries continue to pile up to an insurmountable level, but New Orleans’ isn’t giving the indication that it’s pressing the panic button on this current build, Fischer says. That means there’s been no serious talks on any potential Zion Williamson trade. Instead, Fischer says this situation gives Brandon Ingram a runway to build on his trade value. As we’ve previously relayed, Ingram and the Pelicans couldn’t bridge the gap on any potential extension talks during the offseason — Fischer hears that Ingram was asking for close to $40MM annually. The Pelicans explored possible trades involving Ingram but couldn’t find a suitable offer due to the fact that he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer and any team acquiring him would have to make a similar financial investment.
The Spurs have won three of their last five games under interim head coach Mitch Johnson, with their two losses in that stretch coming by a combined six points. Fischer confirms that Johnson was a leading candidate to fill Washington’s head coaching role that ended up remaining with Brian Keefe, and says Johnson was also a strong candidate for the Hawks‘ head coaching role after they let go of Nate McMillan. Johnson, filling in for Gregg Popovich as he recovers from a mild stroke, is a name to watch on the coaching market whether he stays with the Spurs and succeeds Popovich down the line or ends up in another head coaching role, Fischer says.

Thunder Waive Malevy Leons

November 15th, 2024 at 10:55pm CST by Rory Maher

The Thunder have waived forward/center Malevy Leons, the team announced.

Leons, who went undrafted in June out of Bradley, initially signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Oklahoma City in September. He was waived on Oct. 19, but was re-signed on Oct. 31, when the Thunder cut Alex Reese.

Leons’ contract was a non-guaranteed one-year deal worth the prorated rookie minimum. OKC will carry a relatively small dead-money cap hit for waiving the 25-year-old, who was born in the Netherlands.

Leons appeared in five games for the Thunder, playing a total of 17 garbage-time minutes. He recorded two points, two rebounds and one assist in those contests.

It’s unclear why exactly the Thunder decided to sign and waive both Reese and Leons so early in the season, but from a big-picture perspective, it doesn’t change much about their cap outlook. They’re still $10MM+ below this season’s luxury tax line, which is set at $170,814,000.

The Thunder now have 14 players on standard contracts, with all three two-way spots filled.

Northwest Notes: Jokic, Collins, Filipowski, Flagler

November 15th, 2024 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic has been ruled out for Friday’s game in New Orleans – Denver’s first NBA Cup matchup – for personal reasons, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes.

The Nuggets have a +11.3 net rating in Jokic’s 381 minutes on the court this season, compared to a -28.5 mark in the 109 minutes he hasn’t played. While that doesn’t bode particularly well for tonight’s contest, they’ll be facing a banged-up Pelicans squad that’s missing six rotation players, so it’s still a winnable game.

Zeke Nnaji, Dario Saric, and DeAndre Jordan are among the candidates to play frontcourt minutes in Jokic’s absence.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Although some of John Collins‘ numbers, including an identical 37.1% three-point rate, look similar to the ones he posted last season, the veteran big man looks more comfortable so far in his second season with the Jazz, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, who points to Collins’ increased usage rate, improved assist rate, and better on/off numbers as positive signs. After deploying him as their starting center for much of last season, the Jazz are using Collins more as a power forward – primarily off the bench – this fall and the role seems to suit him better, says Larsen. Collins still probably still isn’t a positive trade asset, but his value is moving in the right direction, Larsen adds.
Jazz rookie Kyle Filipowski played well in his fourth career start on Thursday, registering 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting and holding his own when switched on Luka Doncic, Larsen writes. Of the six players Utah has drafted over the past two seasons, Filipowski was the lowest pick (No. 32 overall in 2024), but he has looked like the promising prospect of the bunch so far this season, Larsen contends.
Former Baylor standout Adam Flagler, who has been in the Thunder‘s system since going pro in 2023, has logged just 25 total minutes across seven appearances at the NBA level since signing a two-way contract in February, but he continues to develop in the G League, where he has emerged as a leader this season for the Oklahoma City Blue, per Rylan Stiles of SI.com. “I have always been a guy that has led by example but wanting to be more vocal, especially for the team,” Flagler said. “Being here for a second year now, knowing what to expect is big for me to put guys in place and let them know they not out there by themselves.”

Western Notes: LeBron, Booker, Saric, Nnaji, Williams

November 14th, 2024 at 10:53pm CST by Tristan Tucker

A story seemingly as old as time, or at least since 2003: LeBron James is playing at an All-Star level. Just a little over a month from his 40th birthday, James is averaging 24.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 9.4 assists per game while shooting 52.4% from the field and 45.9% on three-pointers.

Still, James continues to hint that retirement isn’t all that far off his radar. According to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports, James said he doesn’t expect to play much longer.

“It’s the mind,” James said of what will determine when he retires. “Wherever my mind is, is how the rest of my body is going to go, whatever the case may be. I’m not going to play that much longer, to be completely honest. One year, two years, whatever the case may be. I said the other night that I’m not playing until the wheels fall off. I’m not. I’m not going to be that guy. I’m not going to be the guy disrespecting the game because I just want to be out on the floor.”

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The Suns are off to a 9-3 start, but Devin Booker‘s play has been up and down. He scored 31 points on Tuesday in a win but followed that up with just 18 points in a loss on Wednesday. Still, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports writes that there’s no reason to worry about Booker. He’s shooting just 43.4% from the field after connecting on 49.2% of his shots last season, but he’ll almost assuredly bounce back to his normal efficiency, Bourguet opines.
After playing in each of Denver’s first five games, Dario Saric is now out of the rotation. The Nuggets have won five straight games since benching Saric following a 2-3 start. Head coach Michael Malone confirmed the move, according to The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando (Twitter link). “I don’t expect Dario to be walking around here with a smile and pom-poms like he loves this,” Malone said. “But to his credit, he’s been the ultimate teammate.“
On the other hand, Zeke Nnaji played only once in the first five games but has been part of the rotation during the Nuggets‘ five-game win streak. Malone addressed what Nnaji’s been bringing to the rotation, per Durando (Twitter link). “I think he’s been solid,” Malone said. “I think he’s going to continue to get an opportunity. He’s gotta go out there and just try to finish around the basket, knock down open threes. And most importantly obviously he’s gotta be the anchor of our defense if he’s playing backup five.“
The Thunder have been playing 6’5″ forward Jalen Williams at center while dealing with injuries to Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren. Without their traditional big men, their small-ball lineups are causing havoc, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman writes. They forced 23 turnovers against New Orleans on Wednesday. Kenrich Williams also saw minutes at the five off the bench and will continue to be leaned on moving forward, Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated writes.

Northwest Notes: Thunder, SGA, Jazz, Nuggets, Wolves

November 13th, 2024 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

With Chet Holmgren sidelined until sometime in 2025 and Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams still not ready to return, expect the Thunder to fully lean into small-ball lineups, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. The team has the roster flexibility to add a veteran center via free agency if it so chooses, but head coach Mark Daigneault seems to enjoy playing small, Lorenzi notes — now it has become a necessity rather than an option.

In their first game without Holmgren on Monday, the Thunder ran out a starting lineup of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins, making their point guard (Gilgeous-Alexander) the tallest player on the court at 6’6″. And the three reserves who saw the most minutes – Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, and Ajay Mitchell – were no more than 6’5″.

Still, the Thunder made those small lineups work and pulled out a victory over the Clippers, largely due to the heroics of Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored a career-high 45 points, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes. According to Thunder PR, the guard became the first player in NBA history to have at least 45 points, nine assists, five steals, and two blocks in a game. Gilgeous-Alexander won’t play like that every night, but he’s confident Oklahoma City can keep winning games despite missing its big men.

“We’ve been there before,” he said, per Youngmisuk. “We’ve won games playing small, and we can do it again.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Walker Kessler‘s absence on Tuesday due to right hip soreness highlighted the lack of quality defenders on the Jazz‘s roster, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, who suggests that’s an area the team will need to address via player development or roster additions — or both. After giving up 120 points to Phoenix on Tuesday, Utah ranks 27th in the NBA in defensive rating (117.6) and dead last in net rating (-13.0).
The Nuggets got off to a shaky start this fall, but they’re on a roll as of late, riding a five-game win streak into Friday’s game in New Orleans. They’ve had to lean heavily on star center Nikola Jokic to pick up those victories — the three-time MVP is averaging 38.1 minutes per game, far exceeding his previous career high of 34.6 MPG. In a pair of stories for The Denver Post, Bennett Durando explores whether the Nuggets can keep winning while better managing Jokic’s playing time and considers whether it makes sense for the club to target a center on the trade market. For what it’s worth, Durando believes acquiring a shooter will be a greater priority for Denver than trading for a center.
Following an ugly 14-point Timberwolves loss to Portland on Tuesday, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic says Minnesota needs to recapture the edge and ferocity that characterized last season’s 56-win squad. This year’s Wolves have made things too easy for their opponents and are “opening doors they used to slam in people’s faces,” Krawczynski writes.