The Thunder have a great chance to repeat as NBA Champions. That's what makes the reality that Oklahoma City's front office is contemplating a deal that would harm their championship credentials so frustrating.
In fairness to GM Sam Presti and his staff, it's an idea that's primarily motivated by the financial realities of the NBA. The general idea is that center Isaiah Hartenstein will be too expensive for the team to retain after this season. The talented center is making $29 million this season, and re-signing him to anything close to that number next year would cost the Thunder a small fortune in tax payments.
That's why the Thunder are reportedly considering finding a new center ahead of this year's trade deadline. Reports indicate Hartenstein could be headed out the door in favor of a big man on a lower salary.
Why would that sort of trade make the Thunder worse?
Hartenstein isn't a starter for the Thunder, but that's only because Chet Holmgren and his dominant rim protection is ahead of him in the pecking order. Put him on most other rosters around the league and he'd instantly become an above-average starter.
That sort of talent it hard to replace in a trade even when finances aren't a significant factor. Oklahoma City is tasked at trying to find a quality replacement for Hartenstein in their rotation who also makes significantly less money. It's not hard to understand why that will be a nearly impossible needle to threat for Presti and his staff.
The one hope for fans in Oklahoma City is that their team's front office is willing to throw significant draft compensation to make flipping Hartenstein for a new, cheaper center work. Packaging Hartenstein with one of the many first round picks in the team's coffers would give the Thunder a chance.
In a perfect world, Oklahoma City could target a talented center on a rookie contract. That artificial salary control could permit them to land a high-quality player who is, at the very least, in the same range as Hartenstein as an impact player. The challenge with that strategy is finding a young big man of that caliber who plays for a team with the financial flexibility to take in Hartenstein's salary while sending out significantly less money in return.
How much would trading Isaiah Hartenstein harm the Thunder's title hopes?
Suffering a downgrade at backup center will not be fatal to Oklahoma City's championship dreams. They still have more enough talent to survive the gauntlet of the playoffs without Hartenstein in the fold.
It does make the team more susceptible to injury. Holmgren does not have a perfect health record. the Thunder's chances of winning a title might be cooked if he gets hurt. The presence of Hartenstein on the roster could keep them afloat without Holmgren for any meaningful stretch of time.
Ultimately, this will be a hard trade for the Thunder to make work. It's reasonable for Presti to make calls on finding a cheaper center, but the franchise can't afford to cheap out. Hartenstein should remain in Oklahoma City before they search for a cheaper alternative in the offseason.