Isaiah Hartenstein is off the injury report and easing back into OKC's frontcourt
Isaiah Hartenstein, the Oklahoma City Thunder's 7-0 center, is not on the injury report after an ankle issue that kept appearing through September and October. His October minutes have been light, topping out at 19.2 against Houston. Last season he averaged 9.2 points and 9.4 rebounds in 47 games.
By the Thunder Nightly Desk · updated 6 h ago01The story of the nightWhere things stand right nowHartenstein is not on the injury report.
Hartenstein is not on the injury report. That matters, because he has been on and off it since early September. He wears No. 55 for Oklahoma City and is listed at C-F, 7-0 and 250 pounds. He is 28 years old with 8 seasons of experience, and he came up through Zalgiris. On the court his October has been quiet. He played 17.4 minutes in the Oct. 20 win over San Antonio and finished with 4 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. The Thunder were +6.0 with him on the floor. His numbers are modest. The more important thing is that he is playing and listed as healthy. For a big man coming off a stretch of ankle trouble, steady minutes come first. Production can follow.
02The ankle timelineThe injury log tells the story.
The injury log tells the story. On Sept. 6, Hartenstein was listed day-to-day with an ankle issue. He was cleared on Oct. 1. On Oct. 5 he was day-to-day again, this time for rest. On Oct. 7 the ankle was back on the report, and that night he logged 0.0 minutes against Milwaukee in a loss. He was cleared again on Oct. 13 and played 12.8 minutes against Indiana in a win, going scoreless with 1 rebound and 2 assists. None of these listings were longer than day-to-day. Still, the same ankle showing up twice in roughly a month is worth watching. The team appears to be managing his workload carefully rather than pushing him through it.
03October so far: limited minutes, mixed returnsHartenstein's October box scores are small.
Hartenstein's October box scores are small. Against Indiana on Oct. 13 he played 12.8 minutes with 0 points and a -11.0. Against Houston on Oct. 15 he played 19.2 minutes, his most this month, and posted 6 points and 8 rebounds. The Thunder lost that game, and he was -16.0. Against San Antonio on Oct. 20 he played 17.4 minutes in a win. The rebounding against Houston is the encouraging sign. It looks like the version of Hartenstein the Thunder rely on: a big body who cleans the glass. His minutes have not reached the 24.2 he averaged last season. That gap is the clearest sign he is still building back up.
04What he gave OKC last seasonLast season, in 2025-26, Hartenstein played 47 games for Oklahoma City.
Last season, in 2025-26, Hartenstein played 47 games for Oklahoma City. He averaged 9.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 24.2 minutes. He added 1.0 steal and 0.8 blocks a game. He shot 62.2 percent from the field and did not make a three, shooting 0.0 percent from deep. His free throw shooting was a weakness at 61.0 percent. His true shooting was 63.1 percent on a 15.3 usage rate, which means he was efficient without needing many touches. The Thunder were +7.8 per game with him on the floor. He turned it over 1.7 times a game. He is a screener, rebounder and passer, not a volume scorer.
05The late-May games against San AntonioHartenstein's last stretch of games last season came against the Spurs in late May.
Hartenstein's last stretch of games last season came against the Spurs in late May. They were up and down. On May 26 he had his best night of that run: 12 points, 15 rebounds and 4 assists in 30.6 minutes, with OKC +24.0 in a win. On May 20 he had 10 points and 13 rebounds in a win. Then the minutes dropped. He played 16.1 minutes on May 28 in a loss and was -25.0. On May 30 he had 7 points and 5 rebounds in 20.6 minutes, and the Thunder lost again. The Spurs were also the opponent on Oct. 20, when Hartenstein and the Thunder got the win.
Hartenstein9.2 ppg
Huff9.5 ppg
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