Free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein officially signed a multi-year contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday.
The Thunder did not release contract details, but according to multiple reports earlier this week, the deal is for three seasons and $87 million.
A journeyman to start his NBA career, the 26-year-old Hartenstein joins his sixth team since entering the league as a second-round pick of the Houston Rockets in 2017.
He was a reserve for the Knicks last season before Mitchell Robinson was lost to an ankle injury. Hartenstein started 49 of his 75 games and averaged 7.8 points and 8.3 rebounds last season.
In 322 games (61 starts) over six seasons with the Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers and Knicks, Hartenstein has averaged 6.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists.
CLAXTON RE-SIGNS WITH NETS
Center Nic Claxton officially signed his reported four-year, $100 million contract with the Brooklyn Nets in a deal that was reached June 26. A total of $96 million reportedly is guaranteed.
Claxton, 25, recorded career highs for the Nets in 2023-24 in rebounds (9.9) and assists (2.1) while scoring 11.8 points per game, the second-best average of his career.
He’s also shown durability the past two seasons, missing a total of 17 games after injuries being a concern early in his career.
Claxton appeared in a total of 94 games over his first three seasons.
LOVE RETURNS TO HEAT
Forward Kevin Love officially signed a one-year, $8 million deal to return to the Heat after declining his $4 million option for next season.
Love, who turns 36 in September, was a valuable role player for the Heat last season. He averaged 8.8 points and 6.1 rebounds over 16.8 minutes in 55 games (five starts).
A five-time All-Star, Love won an NBA title with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015-16 season.
Love has career averages of 16.5 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 929 games (684 starts) with the Minnesota Timberwolves (2008-14), Cavaliers (2014-23) and Heat.
TEMPLE RETURNS TO RAPTORS
Guard/forward Garrett Temple signed a one-year deal to return to the Toronto Raptors after he averaged 3.3 points with 1.7 rebounds in 27 games (two starts) last season, his first in Canada.
Financial terms of Temple’s deal were not announced with reports indicating it is worth $3.3 million.
In 15 NBA seasons, primarily as a reserve player, the 38-year-old Temple has averaged 6.1 points and 1.8 rebounds in 743 games (289 starts) with 12 different teams.
INGLES JOINS TIMBERWOLVES
The Timberwolves made the signing of free-agent forward Joe Ingles official, with reports indicating the one-year deal is worth $3.3 million.
With the Orlando Magic last season, the 36-year-old played in 68 games and averaged 4.4 points with 2.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
The Utah Jazz signed the 6-foot-9 Australia native as a free agent before the 2014-15 season, and he spent his first eight seasons in Salt Lake City, followed by one season with the Milwaukee Bucks.
He has career averages of 8.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 704 games (313 starts).
AVDIJA HEADS TO WASHINGTON FOR BROGDON
The Portland Trail Blazers acquired forward Deni Avdija from the Washington Wizards for veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon, the draft rights to this year’s No. 14 draft pick Bub Carrington, a second-round pick in 2028, a first-round draft choice in 2029 and a second-round pick in 2030, the teams announced Saturday.
Avdija, 23, is coming off the best of his four NBA seasons. He averaged career highs of 14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists and also shot a career-best 50.6 percent from the field while playing 75 games (all starts).
Avdija, who is from Israel, has career averages of 9.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 287 games (155 starts).
Brogdon played just one season with Portland and averaged 15.7 points, 5.5 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 39 games (25 starts). He shot 41.2 percent from 3-point range and missed time due to multiple injuries.
Brogdon, 31, has played eight NBA seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks (2016-19), Indiana Pacers (2019-22), Boston Celtics (2022-23) and Trail Blazers. He was Rookie of the Year in 2016-17 for Milwaukee and Sixth Man of the Year for the Celtics in his lone season in Boston.
