Isaiah Hartenstein reacts to Lu Dort being traded: 'We all know it's a business'

At the start of the summer, big-time decisions had to be made. The Oklahoma City Thunder faced several roster dilemmas. This was always going to be a roster-changing offseason. But by the end of their NBA playoff run, most questions had answered themselves. One being — who should OKC prioritize to keep, Lu Dort or Isaiah Hartenstein? The Thunder didn't need to split hairs on that. The latter proved to go from a luxury to a necessity. Meanwhile, Cason Wallace was ready to take over Dort's starting gig and responsibilities. The Thunder made their choice. They signed Hartenstein to a three-year, $75 million deal. A fresh contract ensured he'd stay in OKC. All before he even had the chance to test the open market. Meanwhile, Dort's team option was picked up. But with the caveat of him being traded to the Atlanta Hawks a couple of weeks afterward. Hartenstein recently told German media outlet 'Basket-World News' his reaction to OKC's busy offseason. The Thunder have lost some of their depth to avoid the second apron. But they made sure to keep the seven-footer for next season and beyond. He was too important to their success over the last two years. He talked about Dort's departure after previously being tied with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the longest-tenured Thunder player. "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," Hartenstein said. "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. There are a lot of general managers who just send players off to some other team where they have no chance of winning or performing well. So at least I know he's in a good position and can play." The writing was on the wall by the end of the postseason that Dort's time in OKC was likely nearing an end. He regressed across the board as his outside jumper and one-on-one defense were no longer sharp. And with younger and better players waiting in the wings for more chances, his exit was the most seamless way to ensure more opportunities were added to their respective plates. "We all know it's a business and you never know what's going to happen," Hartenstein said. "If Luka gets traded, then you can get traded too." Before their summer fire sale, most of the Thunder hadn't been introduced to the cold-and-calculated side of the NBA world. Roster changes are inevitable. Someone's salary can start to seriously hinder their roster-building techniques. Hartenstein was previously an exception to that, though. He knows how results-oriented this industry can be. Heck, he started his career as a journeyman simply trying to keep his NBA dream alive with stop after stop. Now, the Thunder enter the 2026-27 season as a co-title favorite — alongside the San Antonio Spurs. That said, this upcoming regular season should be interesting to watch. Simply from the fact that the complementary pieces have changed. Hartenstein has been a grand-slam addition in his first two years in OKC. Now, his importance to their success has multiplied tenfold. This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Isaiah Hartenstein reacts to Lu Dort being traded: 'We all know it's a business'