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Isaiah Hartenstein gets real on what he felt after OKC traded away Lu Dort
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- Isaiah Hartenstein gets real on what he felt after OKC traded away Lu Dort
Isaiah Hartenstein gets real on what he felt after OKC traded away Lu Dort originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The 2026 offseason has been quite transformative for the Oklahoma City Thunder . They parted ways with three rotational players from their 2025 championship, as Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, and Lu Dort are no longer on the roster.
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This opened up the Thunder 's financials, so they could sign Isaiah Hartenstein to a long-term deal. Despite that, he still had to take a bit of a pay cut just for the Thunder to stay under the second apron. Among all those trades, it seems Dort's exit has affected the Thunder's players.
Isaiah Hartenstein gets honest about Lu Dort's OKC exit
Since 2019, there were two constants in the OKC Thunder roster. Despite their struggles throughout those years, Dort and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were mainstays for the team. Unfortunately, it seems the Thunder had to make a tough call by trading away Dort.
It was not an easy decision for general manager Sam Presti, and it seems the players are sad that he had to go. Unfortunately, it was a decision that was needed because of how the Thunder's financials and adherence to the second apron looked ahead of the 2026-27 season.
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MORE: Isaiah Hartenstein speaks on the pay cut that helped him stay in OKC
As one of Dort's best friends on the team, Hartenstein definitely feels sad after the exit. However, that is the business in the NBA, as teams and players have to deal with the rules set for them. The friendships will likely continue to get stronger, but they just won't be teammates anymore.
"There's always a human element involved. You probably spend more time with your teammates than with your own family over the course of the season. So you do grow very close. But at the end of the day, we all know it's a business. I think Sam Presti at least put him in a good position," Hartenstein said about Dort's exit to Celement Almanza of the Thunder Wire .
It is always tough to stomach a close friend leaving, but the NBA players have gotten used to it over time. Thankfully for Dort, he will be playing for the Atlanta Hawks , a team that will benefit from his defense, leadership, and championship experience.
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