Three OKC Thunder players place in the current ESPN top player rankings

The NBA season is just around the corner and with it, ESPN has released the 14th edition of its “NBA Rankings”. Every year, ESPN brings together a group of experts and analysts to evaluate hundreds of NBA players with thousands of possible outcomes.

For the 2024-25 NBA season, ESPN experts released their 100-51 player rankings and three members of the Oklahoma City Thunder placed on this latest list. Here are those players and what ESPN had to say about them:

88. Isaiah Hartenstein

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Last season, Hartenstein entered the 2023-24 season without being listed on the ESPN roster. However, after his great play with the Knicks, especially during the playoffs where he averaged nine points, eight rebounds and 12 total blocks in 13 playoff games, Hartenstein is among the best. Now with OKC, Hartenstein wants to play a crucial role in the Thunder's defensive and rebounding departments in hopes of helping the team advance to the playoffs.

85. Lu There

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The five-year veteran of OKC is another Thunder player who was unranked at the start of the 2023-24 season and is proving to be a very important member of this young roster. Aside from his exceptional defense, Dort has developed into a spectacular offensive threat, hitting nearly 40% of his three-pointers last season and contributing 11 points per game. As this season begins, Dort's tenacious isolation defense and offensive skills will help lead the Thunder to new heights.

59. Alex Caruso

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Alex Caruso is the third straight player who was initially unranked last season to be ranked for OKC. He will try to strengthen the Thunder's defensive strength. With OKC ranked as the league's fourth-best defense and first in three-point shooting last season, Caruso is the perfect addition to help the Thunder succeed. From back-to-back defensive teams and DPOY mentions to being a career 38 percent three-point shooter, Caruso enters his eighth NBA season hoping to play a key role in winning a title.

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