Thunder Notes: Hartenstein, Holmgren, Picks, Williams

After falling short of their title aspirations, the Thunder enter the 2026 offseason with a good amount of flexibility, but some questions still need to be answered.

One decision they will have to make is whether to retain big man Isaiah Hartenstein, and if so, by what mechanism. Hartenstein has a $28.5MM team option for next season. Oklahoma City could either pick that up or decline it and negotiate a new deal.

Whichever avenue they decide to go down – the latter seems more likely – it’s crucial that they retain the 7’0″ big man, Rylan Stiles writes for Sports Illustrated. Hartenstein demonstrated his value in the Thunder’s series over the Spurs, as his impact was felt strongly against Victor Wembanyama after Game 1, when the team adjusted to a more traditional coverage.

Hartenstein spoke of his desire to stick around during the team’s exit interviews.

“I love being here. I love the organization, but it’s a lot in their hands,” he said. “I think that them and my agent will talk. It’s a business at the end of the day. But whatever happens, I’m truly grateful.”

The expectation among reporters in Oklahoma City is that the Thunder will look to decline his option and sign him to a new deal.

We have more from around the Thunder:

• Chet Holmgren was the subject of intense scrutiny after a disappointing series against the Spurs, especially on the offensive end, but he still had a very positive season. Not only did he make his first All-Star game, finish second in Defensive Player of the Year, and make Third-Team All-NBA, but he had a strong case for best Thunder player through their first two playoff rounds, Joe Mussatto writes for The Oklahoman in his end-of-year report card. The Spurs series was a real cause for concern though, as is the year-by-year decline of his three-point volume. Holmgren’s off-season homework is to forget about Wembanyama for a bit, try to speed up his three-point shot, and develop a deeper face-up game, Mussatto writes, giving his 2025/26 season a B grade overall but an A for the regular season and the first two rounds of the playoffs.
• Given that Oklahoma City is already facing a crunch of having more good players than roster spots, many have suggested they package their two first-round picks, Nos. 12 and 17, to move up in the draft. However, it may be more beneficial for them to use both picks, Stiles opines. With extensions set to kick in for their “big three” over the next two years, the aforementioned Hartenstein decision looming, and extension decisions around the corner on Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, and Jared McCain, having high-upside rookie contract players could be more important than ever for the team, Stiles explains. They will likely make decisions this summer on Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, and Kenrich Williams, and how the draft plays out could help inform those choices.
• It’s not hard to imagine the Thunder coming to terms on a cheaper deal to keep Kenrich Williams around, Justin Martinez writes for The Oklahoman, but more questions remain for this team. Perhaps the most important one is: can Jalen Williams get healthy after a snake-bit season that saw him deal with wrist and hamstring injuries that prevented him from ever getting right? “I think rest, like everything, will really help a little bit,” he said. “We’ll just go from there … I think just having a nice cool-down period where I don’t have to try and rush or accelerate anything is going to be nice to just let my body completely settle, get back to zero.”