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3 Thunder who won't be back after heartbreaking Game 7 loss

Isaiah Hartenstein played a key role against Victor Wembanyama, but after OKC's playoff exit, he's one of three Thunder players that won't be back.
ByWynston Wilcox|
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Isaiah Hartenstein played a key role against Victor Wembanyama, but after OKC's playoff exit, he's one of three Thunder players that won't be back.
Isaiah Hartenstein played a key role against Victor Wembanyama, but after OKC's playoff exit, he's one of three Thunder players that won't be back. | Alex Slitz/GettyImages

Key Points

Bullet point summary by AI

  • The Thunder fell to the Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. Roster changes are coming as OKC looks to build depth through the upcoming NBA draft.
  • Kenrich Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Brooks Barnhizer likely won't return. The team declined Hartenstein's option to let Chet Holmgren lead the frontcourt.
  • Moving on from these depth pieces frees up cap space. It allows the front office to aggressively use their number twelve draft pick to reset the bench.

Oklahoma City was so close to getting back to the NBA Finals for the second straight season. They didn’t lose their first game in this year’s playoffs until the Western Conference Finals and made it all the way to a Game 7. However, home court advantage wasn't enough. The Thunder fell to the Spurs, 111-103.

These three roster cuts aren’t about trying to upgrade. The Thunder have been phenomenal with identifying the top players in the draft. They will continue to do that and will add to the foundation they already have. 

Kenrich Williams

OKC is deep. They have so much depth on their roster, they can afford to let Kenrich Williams go and not feel the hit. Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe have been the two guards to pick up the slack for the bench so it’s fair that OKC might not see value for him. They have large contracts on their books already so it makes sense they look to let Willliams go to ease up the cap space pressure. 

In the first two series, he wasn’t really a factor. The series against San Antonio was when their depth got tested and he stepped up in a big way. He scored 10 points in Game 5 and had six rebounds in Game 6. However, he only saw four minutes of action in Game 7, going 1-of-4.

Oklahoma City doesn’t really lose much with Williams gone other than depth. It’s fair to think the Thunder are pretty confident with their core. They also have the No. 12 pick, which would allow them to either draft for depth or trade up in the draft and land a good bench player as well. 

Isaiah Hartenstein

Isaiah Hartenstein
Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The twin towers approach for OKC has worked, but truthfully, they don’t need to pay that kind of money for their frontcourt. What Hartenstein has done since his arrival has been solid, but it’s hard to think OKC feels compelled to bring him back. Chet Holmgren is a $40 million center, it’s time for him to step up as the starting big man and not just a role player in the starting lineup. Holmgren’s build allows him to be both an interior presence at 7 feet tall while also stretching his game to the perimeter. 

Hartenstein is a pure interior big man, but for what it could cost to bring him back, it just doesn’t feel like OKC will make that type of commitment. The Thunder turned down his team option for next year, which essentially means they don’t plan on bringing him back. Sure they could negotiate a lower contract to bring him back, but they’ll probably let him go. That's more true after an underwhelming Game 7 with seven points and five rebounds.

Brooks Barnhizer

The second round steal for OKC might not be around next year. Brooks Barnhizer signed a two-way deal with OKC and that deal is up. Much like the other players on this list, Barnhizer is a depth piece they don’t really need. The Thunder have drafted really well and done a good job of building depth outside of the key players. On any other team, Barnhizer probably gets a shot to be a ninth or 10th player in the rotation. 

With the Thunder, it was always going to be a tough task to break through into the rotation. If the Thunder get aggressive in this draft and try to sneak into the top five, they won’t need too much more depth. Part of the reason they were able to win a championship last year and make it to the Western Conference Finals was because of their depth. As long as the Thunder continue to build through the draft, it will prove they are just fine. 

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