As we approach summer in the NBA, recent rumors say the New York Knicks may lose Isaiah Hartenstein to an up-and-coming Oklahoma City Thunder team.
One of the NBA’s standout performers this season came from the New York Knicks. With injuries pushing him into a bigger role, Isaiah Hartenstein has quickly emerged as a top center in the NBA.
The Knicks have done a great job bringing in talent on very affordable contracts in recent years, and Hartenstein has been no different. Hartenstein signed a two-year contract this season worth an average of $8 million per season. For a player who was a starting center and major contributor for much of the season, this was excellent value.
While Hartenstein could have been a great value for the Knicks, he will now get paid in the offseason thanks to his improvements. Recently, Bleacher Report named the Oklahoma City Thunder as a potential destination for Hartenstein in free agency. Here’s what they had to say.
The Knicks have the oft-injured Mitchell Robinson under contract, but Hartenstein may have made him expendable, assuming both sides can agree to a contract. New York only has its Early Bird rights, so the maximum it can get to stay starts at $16.2 million.
The Thunder are the obvious team with room to overcome New York. They need additional size on offense and Hartenstein is still only 26 years old. It makes a lot of sense on paper, but Oklahoma City needs to decide that Hartenstein is the right fit.
It will be a big decision for the Knicks on what to do with Hartenstein. He’s been a big part of their success this season, but he’ll want a huge contract in free agency.