Isaiah Hartenstein came off the Thunder's injury report on Thursday, moving from day-to-day to cleared. He is in line to play when Oklahoma City opens its season against New Orleans on Tuesday.
What happened
The Thunder's injury report listed Isaiah Hartenstein as cleared on Thursday, Oct. 1 at 12:33 p.m. ET, a change from his previous status of day-to-day. The center-forward had first appeared on the report on Sunday, Sept. 6, listed day-to-day with an ankle and leg issue. No further detail or report comment accompanied Thursday's update, and no timeline for a return was announced beyond the clearance itself.
What it means for the Thunder
Oklahoma City opens its season Tuesday at home against New Orleans, and Hartenstein's clearance means the big man is available from the start. Last season he averaged 9.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 24.2 minutes across 47 games. When he was out last season, the Thunder leaned on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (33.2 minutes, 31.1 points), Chet Holmgren (29.0 minutes, 17.1 points) and Jalen Williams (28.4 minutes, 17.1 points) for extra minutes. The Thunder have not played a game this season, so there is no record with or without him yet.
What to watch
The next injury report will show whether Hartenstein's clearance holds through the opener. No expected return timeline applies since he is no longer listed as day-to-day. Oklahoma City's first test comes Tuesday against New Orleans, the start of a season that will quickly show how the frontcourt rotation looks with him available.
Is Isaiah Hartenstein playing vs Pelicans?
He is cleared, with no day-to-day designation, ahead of Oklahoma City's Tuesday, Oct. 6 game against New Orleans at 8:00 p.m. ET.
When will Isaiah Hartenstein be back?
He is already back. The injury report moved him from day-to-day to cleared on Thursday, Oct. 1, and no expected return date applies since he is no longer sidelined.