Isaiah Hartenstein is day-to-day with a rest issue and will not play Tuesday's preseason opener against the Pelicans. Oklahoma City opens its preseason schedule without him up front.
What happened
The Thunder listed Isaiah Hartenstein as day-to-day with a rest issue on Monday at 2:02 p.m. ET. Clemente Almanza of USA Today reported that Hartenstein will not play in Tuesday's preseason opener against the Pelicans. The report lists an expected return of Oct. 7. Hartenstein had been cleared from a day-to-day designation on Oct. 1, after an earlier ankle and leg issue put him on the report on Sept. 6.
What it means for the Thunder
Oklahoma City opens its preseason Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET against the Pelicans without Hartenstein. Last season he averaged 9.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 24.2 minutes across 47 games, giving the Thunder rebounding and playmaking from the center spot. With him out, Chet Holmgren, who played 29.0 minutes and scored 17.1 points per game in the rotation sample without Hartenstein, is the frontcourt option to pick up those minutes. The 2026-27 season has not started, so there is no record with or without him yet.
What to watch
The next injury report will show whether Hartenstein's rest designation changes before Oklahoma City's following preseason game. His expected return is listed as Oct. 7. Several other Thunder players, including Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, also appear on Monday's report as day-to-day, so the next update will cover more than just Hartenstein.
Is Isaiah Hartenstein playing vs Pelicans?
No. The injury report lists Hartenstein as day-to-day with a rest issue, and he will not play in Tuesday's preseason opener against the Pelicans.
When will Isaiah Hartenstein be back?
The injury report lists an expected return of Oct. 7.