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New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein was a revelation for the injury-riddled squad this past season. With starting big man Mitchell Robinson out for a large chunk of the campaign, Hartenstein filled in admirably, skyrocketing his stock as he approached unrestricted free agency.
As a result, the Oklahoma City Thunder are rumored to be taking a long look at the 2017 second-round pick, via Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer.
“Oklahoma City has been the potential destination (for Hartenstein) most mentioned by team executives after rebounding woes plagued the Thunder during their second-round defeat to the Mavericks,” Fischer said. “Dallas bested OKC 287-241 on the glass over those six games.”
Hartenstein may be just what the doctor ordered for the Thunder, as he ranked 20th in the league with 8.3 rebounds per game this past year. This bested Oklahoma City big man Chet Holmgren, who averaged 7.9 boards.
Fischer pointed out that Hartenstein could initially be an awkward fit in the Thunder's offense, but he's too talented not to contribute.
“In one respect, Hartenstein would seem incongruent with the rest of the Thunder’s roster and playing style, as Coach of the Year Mark Daigneault oversaw a drive-and-kick offense with Chet Holmgren at center and all five OKC players boasting the ability to create off the dribble,” Fischer said. “Hartenstein is not that, but his prowess as a dribble-handoff screener and passer — constantly slinging back-door bounces to Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo — could introduce an added dimension to what already exists with the Thunder. Hartenstein has also shown an ability to coexist with another big man amid various lineup structures with New York.”
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Hartenstein proved that he's more than competent offensively, scoring 7.8 points per game at a lights-out 64.4% clip, with 2.5 assists. That along with his prowess on the glass is why he may be the best center available on the open market this summer.
Will the 26-year-old stay with the Blue and Orange, or will he seek greener pastures?
The Thunder may be in luck due to Hartenstein's early Bird rights
If Hartenstein is simply looking for the biggest payday, New York will be at a disadvantage. Due to his early Bird rights, the Knicks can only offer him $72.5 million over four years, while any other organization could double that. This is one of several exceptions that the NBA allows towards the salary cap, via the league's website.
“A team may re-sign its own free agent to a contract with a first-year salary of up to the greater of (a) 175% of the player’s salary in the last season of his prior contract, or (b) 105% of the average player salary for the prior season, if he played for the team for some or all of each of the prior two consecutive seasons (or, if he changed teams, he did so by trade or by assignment via the NBA’s waiver procedures),” the site says. “A contract signed using the Early Bird Exception must be for at least two seasons (not including any option year).”
However, Hartenstein hasn't given any indication that he's worried about the specific dollar amount, saying that he's “getting paid regardless,” via Fischer. The only guarantee so far in this situation is that the 7-foot, 250-pound big man will be a crucial piece to whatever team he's on next year.
