Announcement: 2-time NBA champ finally agree deal to join Oklahoma City Thunder

Two-time NBA champion takes jab at Isaiah Hartenstein following Thunder’s free agency splash.
David West did not appear to be a fan of the contract that the Thunder offered Isaiah Hartenstein during free agency.
The NBA continues to be in as good a financial situation as there is. Players in the league continue to be rewarded

with massive contracts that will set them up for life. Isaiah Hartenstein was one of the athletes who was able to earn life-changing money in this year’s offseason. The Oklahoma City Thunder honored his tireless work for the New York Knicks, particularly during the 2024 NBA playoffs, with a three-year, $85 million contract.

Hartenstein helps the Thunder shore up their greatest roster weakness, rebounding, which proved to be their undoing in their second-round playoff showdown against the Dallas Mavericks this season. However, not everyone is pleased with the contract that the Thunder granted Hartenstein.

with two-time NBA champion and two-time All-Star David West, Isaiah Hartenstein’s new deal is not in line with his overall performance with the Knicks during the 2023-24 season. West then took a jab at the Thunder big man on his official Instagram account.

The NBA players just have more money these days as a result of the league’s TV arrangements. In truth, David West personally benefited from the league’s pay cap.

West may not have benefited financially, but he can name himself a two-time NBA champion owing in large part to the Golden State Warriors’ 2016 trade for Kevin Durant, which would not have been feasible without the cap increase.

Nonetheless, it’s unfortunate that West didn’t receive a higher salary than Isaiah Hartenstein did this offseason owing to the timing of his NBA debut. However, the purpose of those who came before is to always leave the league in a much better state. The NBA is in a strong financial position, and the more players that benefit from it, the better.