Isaiah Hartenstein is a professional basketball player who plays as a center for the OKC Thunder in the NBA. His professional career started in Germany with the Artland Dragons, where he led the junior team to a championship in the Bundesliga JBBL and was named MVP. He was also a participant in the Jordan Brand Classic international game held in 2014. Following a successful stint with the Dragons, Hartenstein signed with the Lithuanian club named Zalgiris Kaunas, where he played for one season before declaring for the 2017 NBA Draft.
He was selected as the 43rd pick in the second round by the Houston Rockets in 2017, Hartenstein played for multiple franchises, before finally finding his feet in New York. In 75 games in the 2023/24 season, Hartenstein averaged an impressive 7.8 ppg, 8.3 RPG (career-high), 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. In 2024, Hartenstein signed a three-year, $87 million contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder after his great stint at the Madison Square Garden.
Related: Isaiah Hartenstein Contract
Isaiah Hartenstein Nationality
Isaiah Hartenstein was born on May 5, 1998, in Eugene, Oregon, United States. While he holds dual nationality of Germany and the United States, Hartenstein is believed to have German-American lineage. As per his official NBA roster profile his nationality has been mentioned as Germany.
Hartenstein represents the German national team when it comes to international basketball. He has represented his country at the 2014 FIBA Europe U16 Championship and the 2015 FIBA Europe U18 Championship. At the men’s national level, Hartenstein represented Germany at the EuroBasket in 2017.
Isaiah Hartenstein NBA Career
Isaiah Hartenstein started his NBA career with the Houston Rockets G League affiliate Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He showed out in the G League with decent statistics before earning a more permanent spot with the Rockets. In 2020, Hartenstein joined the Denver Nuggets. Hartenstein was not able to take advantage of the few minutes of playing time that he received due to playing under the shadow of superstar Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets then traded him for Javale McGee in 2021 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The transition to Cleveland saw Hartenstein get more minutes and he was able to have a more prominent role on the team.
After gaining attention for his performances with the Cavs, Hartenstein signed with the LA Clippers for the 2021/22 season, before signing a contract with the Knicks the following season. His contract with the Knicks is worth $16 million for a period of two years. And then in July 2024 owing to his great performances over the past couple of seasons, Hartenstein signed a three-year $87 million deal with the Thunders as a free agent.
Related: Isaiah Hartenstein Wingspan
FAQ's On Isaiah Hartenstein
A. Isaiah Hartenstein’s age is 26 years old as of March 2025.
A. The 2023/24 season was Isaiah Hartenstein’s seventh season in the NBA.
A. Isaiah Hartenstein was selected as 43rd pick in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft.
A. Isaiah Hartenstein plays as a center for the New York Knicks.
A. Isaiah Hartenstein weighs around 113 kg.
