The Los Angeles Clippers lost a key piece of their bench last week as big man Isaiah Hartenstein secured a two-year, $16 million deal with the New York Knicks. That ended his short spell in Southern California, featuring in 68 games for the Clips in his lone season with the organization.
On Monday, Hartenstein took to IG to offer his gratitude to the franchise and their fans for welcoming him in with open arms:
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Hartenstein proved to be an essential player for the Clippers in their frontcourt. He averaged 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, making all his appearances as a member of the second unit. While it's a small sample size of 17.9 minutes per night, IT is one of the better passing centers in the league. He should have more of an advanced role in The Big Apple, which will surely bring out the absolute best in him.
Since getting drafted 43rd overall in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, Hartenstein has moved around a lot. He spent two seasons down in Texas before splitting time between the Cavs and Nuggets in 2020-21. The Clippers ultimately signed him last September.
LA has made a couple of other moves so far this offseason, extending Nic Batum and Amir Coffey while also bringing in veteran PG John Wall on a two-year deal to bolster their backcourt. With limited depth behind Ivica Zubac at the 5, their next goal will be to sign a backup for the Croatian to make up for the loss of Hartenstein.
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