Should OKC Thunder Consider Starting Isaiah Hartenstein Less?

The Thunder's starting big man may be better suited to come off the bench more often.

Mar 25, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) during the second quarter against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s starting lineup will look different next season, and they may be wise to make some more changes.

The Thunder will enter next season with some new faces on the roster and familiar faces out of the picture. Regardless, Oklahoma City still has the capability of winning an NBA championship once again, and it should be right at the top of the standings again.

In terms of next season, the starting lineup has been one of the biggest storylines of the offseason after the team traded Lu Dort to Atlanta. While most of the conversation around the starting five has been centered on who will replace Dort, there may need to be more conversations about whether Isaiah Hartenstein’s spot in the starting five should be as constant as it has been over the past two years.

Including the postseason, Hartenstein has come off the bench only eight times in 142 appearances, and for good reason. There’s no questioning that Hartenstein has made an immense impact on Oklahoma City’s rebounding and has been one of the team’s most important players throughout his tenure.

While most players around the league would be in consideration for fewer starts as a result of their play not meeting expectations, Hartenstein’s case is actually the opposite. As he enters his ninth NBA season and has battled injuries over the past couple of years, the Thunder might be wise to let him take on a more Alex Caruso-like role next season, especially considering the team’s added depth at center.

Hartenstein coming off the bench a bit more could open the door for both Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell to start, or it could even give Aday Mara or Thomas Sorber some opportunities for spot starts alongside Chet Holmgren later in the year. Either way, Hartenstein’s starting spot would still belong to him in big matchups and likely throughout the postseason.

Knowing how critical he was in Oklahoma City’s game plan against San Antonio and Victor Wembanyama, the team may have more interest in using him like Caruso in the regular season moving forward and giving his minutes a significant boost when needed in the playoffs. 

Perhaps this conversation will simply come down to whether Oklahoma City feels comfortable giving Chet Holmgren starts at the five again, but there are several potential benefits to letting Hartenstein come off the bench, even if just for a few games, such as back-to-backs.