Sam Presti, Isaiah Hartenstein Discuss Projected Role With the OKC Thunder

Earlier this week, the Oklahoma City Thunder inked Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year $87 Million deal marking their largest free agent signing ever - both in numbers and in player stature as Hartenstein ties together Oklahoma City's rotation and pushes them fully into a title contention window.

This move comes with a few burning questions - Who starts? What is the role of the $87 Million Dollar man? In an offseason of bolstering the team's 57-win club featuring this signing as well as an Alex Caruso-Josh Giddey swap, things will look different in Bricktown.

On Saturday, Hartenstein was introduced to the local media after officially signing his pact as the moratorium lifts. After being lured away from the Knicks, he and the team's top executive Sam Presti fielded plenty of questions around this move.

A big theme of the pop quiz was the role that the 26-year-old big man expects with the Oklahoma City Thunder, something Sam Presti spoke to first.

“We don’t make promises on minutes, we don’t make promises on roles, we make promises on environments," Presti said.

Presti mentioned Hartenstein nor Caruso is asking questions about starting lineups or roles. “We will look at a lot of different things I’m sure,” the General Manager added highlighting how head coach Mark Daigneault is "always tinkering," with things.

Hartenstein's sentiment was a simple one, "I am just here to do whatever the team needs to win," the big man said highlighting that he thinks the Thunder can expand his game in this partnership.

The expectation is that it will take time for the Thunder and Hartenstein to gel together with how many different ways they can use the 26-year-old it may take time to fit the puzzle pieces together.

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