Thunder news: Isaiah Hartenstein's plans for money from NBA Cup winnings
12/15/2024 06:39 PM
LAS VEGAS, NV — The Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder are gearing up for an NBA Cup Finals that will feature superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading their teams for a chance at $500,000. What every player does with the winnings is up to them, but Isaiah Hartenstein already has plans for it.
Players from the winners of the NBA Cup will each receive $514,971, while the losers of the Championship game will walk away with $205,988 each. It’s a great incentive for players, especially young ones who may not have had a chance to make a lot of money yet.
Thunder’s Isaiah Hartenstein has plans for NBA Cup winnings
Whether it’s using the earnings on a vacation, investing, or even just not touching it, players involved in the playoffs of the NBA Cup seem to already have ideas in mind for what they want to do with the money.
When the Los Angeles Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup last season, players immediately swarmed LeBron James to ask where they could pick up their winnings. Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein says some players on the team have been talking about it for over a week.
“J-Will (Jaylin Williams) keeps saying that, taking about money,” Hartenstein said after the Thunder’s semifinals win over the Rockets. “I think he’ll be the first one to ask where the money’s at.
“But I’m excited. I think it’s another opportunity for the guys that are new, guys that are not on the bigger contract to get extra money. I was in that same position so I know that $500,000 is going to be good for them.”
Last season, Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell said he was going to use his earnings to pay off vacations, and a number of other players likely did the same.
For Hartenstein, however, the money will likely not be kept.
“For me, I’m probably going to donate some of it,” Hartenstein said. “I’ll donate to certain causes, so that’s exciting for me to have another opportunity to get some more money but also help the community out.”
Isaiah Hartenstein has not been shy about holding community events whenever he’s able to, whether it be in Houston where he first got his NBA career started or where he now plays in Oklahoma City.
Hartenstein had one of the most incredible journeys when factoring in how quickly he turned into a household name and a fan favorite. In 2021, he earned the final spot on the LA Clippers’ roster, beating out Harry Giles, but still sitting behind Ivica Zubac and Serge Ibaka. Within weeks, Hartenstein was the backup center showcasing his incredible floating shot and playmaking while playing admirably defensively.
His play that season earned him a two-year, $16 million with the New York Knicks. It was a great pay bump for a guy who showed put his worth on full display. Hartenstein was willing to take less to return to the Clippers, but the organization ultimately used their only avenue of retaining him to sign free agent point guard John Wall.
With the Knicks suffering injuries to their frontcourt, Hartenstein started the final 49 games for the Knicks, averaging career-highs across the board at 12.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists 1.3 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.
He had a strong postseason as well, proving himself indispensable and giving himself a chance to earn a major payday in the offseason.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Isaiah Hartenstein.
(via @TomerAzarly) pic.twitter.com/0K2GsqUqw1
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 13, 2024
Isaiah Hartenstein signed a three-year, $87 million deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder this past offseason, bringing him from a minimum, end-of-the roster signing to a starting center earning nearly $30 million per season.
The Thunder, 20-5 this season, are also 9-1 in games which Hartenstein plays, including seven double-figure victories.
So how does a guy who went from struggling to make a roster to irreplaceable in three years handle that kind of career and financial jump?
“To me, it’s easy,” Hartenstein told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview after the Thunder’s win over the Rockets. “I have the right people around me to keep me humble. I think it’s more of an opportunity where now I’ve been doing a lot more, now I have the chance to give back to the community. I think that keeps me really humble.
“I try to do one or two things every month to give back to the community, do stuff in the community. I think every time I go out there, I try to help people out. Like I have a Christmas event coming up. I mean, even when I wasn’t there, we took a whole bunch of kids to watch The Grinch, so I think just being around kids, being around people who maybe are not as fortunate, that always keeps me humble at the end of the day.”
In 10 appearances for the Thunder, Hartenstein is averaging career-highs of 12.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game on 57.9 percent shooting from the field. He’s currently fourth in the league in rebounding behind only Karl-Anthony Towns, Nikola Jokic, and Domantas Sabonis. He’s also fifth among all centers in assists per game behind only Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis, Alperen Sengun, and Bam Adebayo.
Tuesday night’s NBA Cup Final between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks is scheduled to tip off around 8:30PM EST.
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