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The Oklahoma City Thunder will be will be starting the upcoming season without one of their new players. The team announced Thursday that Isaiah Hartenstein sustained a non-displaced fracture in his left hand during Tuesday’s preseason game, and will be reevaluated in 5-6 weeks.
The Thunder signed Hartenstein in early July, inking him to a three-year, $87 million contract. He was supposed to be the starting center this season and help the Thunder fix their rebounding issues. OKC was 27th in the league in rebounding last season, and Hartenstein posted career-best numbers in that category with the New York Knicks last year, averaging 8.3 total rebounds per game.
The Thunder finished with the second-best record in the NBA last season, and didn’t have to deal with too many personnel changes along the way. According to Spotrac, OKC lost just 61 games to illness and injury, by far the lowest in the league. (The Indiana Pacers lost the second-lowest games to illness and injury, a total of 113 last season.)
The 2024-25 season is starting off much differently. With their new starting center out until at least November, Jaylin Williams out with a hamstring strain and Kenrich Williams recovering from a knee procedure, the Thunder will have to rely on their depth and hope its up to the task.