After signing Jalen Brunson on a four-year, $110 million deal, the New York Knicks moved quickly to bring in another free agent on Thursday. According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, the Knicks and Isaiah Hartenstein have agreed to terms on a two-year, $16.7 million deal, marking New York's second acquisition on the opening day of free agency.
Free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein is signing a two-year, $16.7 million deal with the New York Knicks, sources tell @TheAthletic.
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) June 30, 2022
Despite rumors that the Knicks were expected to bring back Mitchell Robinson on a new four-year deal (which still remains a possibility), Hartenstein was the first big man to reach an agreement with the franchise.
Hartenstein spent the 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he showed flashes of his potential throughout the year. Across 68 games, Hartenstein averaged 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists across 17.9 minutes per game. He shot at a 46.7% clip from 3-point range, albeit on just 0.4 attempts per game.
There were various teams rumored to be interested in Hartenstein, including the Magic, once it became clear that his tenure with the Clippers was likely at its end. LA signed Ivica Zubac to a contract extension earlier in the week, which put the writing on the wall for Hartenstein's exit in free agency.
The Magic ended up re-signing Mo Bamba, while the Knicks managed to bring the Eugene, Oregon native to the Big Apple. Hartenstein is just 24 years old, and he'll look to continue to develop over the course of his contract with the Knicks, which runs through the 2023-24 season.
Hartenstein was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2017 NBA Draft.
Follow Us
Subscribe