Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein added much needed veteran depth for the Thunder’s Finals run.
The Thunder are one win away from being crowned NBA champions. They built the nucleus of their team through the draft and made a key trade to acquire Shai Gilgeous-Alexander before he became a superstar. Prior to this season, they made two veteran additions that could ultimately be what puts them over the top. Let’s highlight those two players and discuss what their fantasy outlooks are like heading into next season.
Alex Caruso
Caruso has been here before, winning a championship with the Lakers in 2020. He had spent the last three seasons with the Bulls and had the best statistical season of his career in 2023-24, averaging 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 3-pointers. The key was that he averaged 29 minutes per game and made 71 appearances, both career highs.
The Bulls were moving in a younger direction during the offseason, so they traded Caruso to the Thunder for Josh Giddey. Caruso is one of the best defenders in the league and has an all-out style of play that can lead to injuries. He has played at least 60 games in a season just three times during his career. In an attempt to keep him healthy for the playoffs, the Thunder mostly brought Caruso off the bench during the regular season. He also averaged just 19 minutes per game, which left him with averages of 7.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 3-pointers.
Caruso has played more in the playoffs, averaging 24 minutes over 21 games. He’s turned that added playing time into averages of 9.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.7 3-pointers. His defense has been impeccable, and his veteran leadership has been key for the Thunder.
The Thunder have Caruso locked up through the 2028-29 season. While he figures to be a key contributor for them, he still might not play enough during the regular season to have a huge fantasy impact. Other than his ability to rack up steals, he’s not likely to dominate in any other categories. He shouldn’t be viewed as anything other than a viable fantasy bench option who can be streamed for steals when he has a favorable schedule.
Isaiah Hartenstein
The big splash that the Thunder made in free agency last offseason was signing Hartenstein away from the Knicks. He was coming off the best season of his career, averaging 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in 2023-24. He played 25 minutes a night, which was by far the highest mark of his career.
Hartenstein’s Thunder debut was delayed until November 20 because of an injury. When he finally took the floor, he became an integral part of the team. He averaged 28 minutes and set new career highs in points (11.2), rebounds (10.7) and assists (3.8) per game. He also made an impact on the defensive end with averages of 0.8 steals and 1.1 blocks. Another boost for fantasy managers was that he shot 58.1% from the field.
What helped Hartenstein play so many minutes was that Chet Holmgren was limited to 32 games because of injuries. However, even when Holmgren was healthy, Hartenstein remained in the starting lineup. While Hartenstein has seen his role decrease in the Finals, he has averaged 8.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists during the Thunder’s playoff run.
Hartenstein had an ADP of 97 this season. He should go inside the top 100 again next season, and it wouldn’t be crazy to take him inside the top 80. Even in limited minutes, he can be a threat to record a double-double while providing assists. If Holmgren misses a lengthy period again, Hartenstein has already shown that he can provide stellar production without him.
