Chet Holmgren extends warm welcome to his 'bright-skin' twin as Isaiah Hartenstein signs with OKC Thunder
OKC Thunder star Chet Holmgren is bracing to play alongside Isaiah Hartenstein at Paycom Center starting next season. After a breakout season with the New York Knicks, where he took a major role when Mitchell Robinson went down with an injury, Hartenstein got a big payday with the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
Hartenstein is now on another contender, and Holmgren is excited to share the court with him. The second-year center hyped up the arrival of Hartenstein on X on Monday.
"Welcome to the O my bright-skin twin🤞🏼💪🏼😂," Holmgren wrote.
The Thunder is coming off a strong season where they secured the No. 1 spot in the West, edging the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves, respectively, to get the top seed in the conference. The eventual Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks stopped them in the second round of the playoffs behind a terrific performance from Luka Doncic.
OKC is preparing to bounce back next season after making a couple of intriguing moves to start the offseason. Just last week, they traded for Alex Caruso with the Chicago Bulls. Added to the Hartenstein deal, they also agreed to new contracts with Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins.
Josh Hart's reaction contrasts with Chet Holmgren's to Isaiah Hartenstein's Thunder deal
While Chet Holmgren has welcomed Isaiah Hartenstein with open arms, Josh Hard wasn't that happy about this decision. The Knicks knew how to use Hartenstein in the absence of Mitchell Robinson, which granted him a lot of love and respect from fans and teammates.
Josh Hart took to social media to show his disagreement with Hartenstein's exit, joking that he never liked the former LA Clippers player.
"You are dead to me Zay," Hart tweeted. "I never liked you anyways. But congrats on the bag!"
The Knicks brought in some interesting pieces like Mikal Bridges and secured the services of OG Anunoby. Just like the Thunder, they have a solid core that looks to dethrone the conference champions next season.
OKC is one of the most promising teams in the NBA right now. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was an MVP candidate last season; Chet Holmgren finished second in the Rookie of the Year award voting; and the rest of the team stepped up to become a threat in the West.
Add Hartenstein to Jalen Williams, Lu Dortz and company, they are set to compete for many years.