The Oklahoma City Thunder are tied 3-3 with the San Antonio Spurs and will play Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals. Isaiah Hartenstein will be the starting center for the defending-champion Thunder, as he has been in most of the games he's played for them. He's become the anchor of their best-in-class defense at center, and one has to wonder what could have been with him next to Nikola Jokic over the years if he had ever just been given a chance.
The Nuggets apparently didn't see the defensive force Hartenstein has become. In another one of those Nuggets trades with draft picks attached, at the trade deadline of the 2020-21 season, they sent Hartenstein to the Cleveland Cavaliers along with a 2023 second-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick in exchange for JaVale McGee's return to Denver.
McGee did not factor into the playoff rotation at all that season, and the Nuggets were swept in the second round by the Phoenix Suns. Add it to the list of trades that sting.
The Nuggets sure could use Hartenstein now
Hartenstein was traded because the Nuggets didn't trust him to be the backup center to Nikola Jokic at the top of the non-Jokic minutes at the time. They wanted a veteran, and JaVale was the route they chose. Wait, isn't that the same playbook the Nuggets are still running with the non-Jokic minutes?
Sure, it's five years in the future, but the Nuggets would probably like to have that one back. Hartenstein became exactly what the Nuggets need in the paint, backing up Jokic or starting alongside him. He protects the rim very well, he gets some blocks and steals, and he's a great overall defender. He's a big part of the Thunder's success on the defensive end.
What would a Jokic and Hartenstein pairing look like now?
The Thunder are projected to be well past the second apron tax next season without making some roster changes, and Hartenstein is on a $28.5 million team option. There's a chance he's a cap casualty, and he becomes a free agent. There's also a chance he's exercised or even extended. But would the Thunder trade him for cap space at that point?
What would it take for the Nuggets to get Hartenstein to Denver? Pairing him with Jokic in the paint would certainly be an interesting combo. It would solve the physicality and rim-protection issues. Hartenstein shoots well, at 59.6% from the floor for his career. He won't stretch the defense, and has limited range, but Jokic and the Nuggets have him covered there.
The big issue is the hurdle in making that happen. It would require a trade involving someone like Aaron Gordon, who was, ironically, acquired the same day Hartenstein was traded away. Even if Hartenstein is optioned and hits the market, the Nuggets can't afford him without some cuts and moves of their own.
It'll likely always remain a what-if. Hartenstein blossomed into the anchor of the defense for the world champions. Could the Nuggets have won more titles with him alongside Jokic? We'll never know, in part, because the Nuggets hardly ever gave Hartenstein a chance.
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