A huge offseason awaits the New York Knicks. After making their second consecutive appearance in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Knicks have put themselves in a position to become legitimate title contenders in the East. However, the organization enters the offseason in danger of losing key parts of their core rotation. In addition to OG Anunoby likely opting out of his contract to become a free agent, Isaiah Hartenstein is set to become arguably the best big man available.
Hartenstein, who originally joined the Knicks in 2022 as a secondary center option behind Mitchell Robinson, instantly became one of the Knicks most valuable player when Robinson was out due to injuries. The 2023-24 season proved to be the best of Hartenstein's career, as he started in 49 of his 75 games, averaging 7.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 64.4 percent from the floor. He ranked fifth in total offensive rebounds this season and tied for 19th in total rebounds across the entire league.
Whether it was during the regular season or in the playoffs, Hartenstein proved to be a very efficient rebounder who thrived in pick-and-roll sets. The best part about Hartenstein's game is that he has the ability to spread the floor and help initiate the offense behind the three-point line. Although he is not a shooter, the seven-footer has great instincts and a high understanding of getting to his spots on the court and opening up gaps for his team's stars.
That is why Hartenstein was invaluable to the Knicks this past season.
Finally proving his worth in the bright lights of Madison Square Garden, the Knicks are not in the most advantageous spot to retain their big man this season. Financially speaking, New York is limited pertaining to what they can offer Hartenstein in free agency compared to other teams around the league.
What can the Knicks offer?
Early on in his career, Hartenstein was never given the chance to showcase what he could do with the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets. This led to him having one foot out the door before signing a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2020-21 season.
A strong showing in Cleveland led Hartenstein to signing a minimum contract with the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2021-22 season to be Ivica Zubac's backup. In Los Angeles, Hartenstein was finally able to prove that he belonged in this league and that a team simply needed to utilize him for his strengths as a rebounder and interior presence.
Ultimately, his success resulted in a two-year, $16 million offer from the Knicks. This turned out to be a steal for the Knicks, as Hartenstein helped build this team's identity as a primary rebounder. His toughness and ability to knock down floaters in the lane simply added value to Hartenstein's presence in New York.
While the Knicks would love to keep Hartenstein on a new contract, money is suddenly becoming a problem. There is not a question about whether New York has the funds to retain Hartenstein, but it is a problem of how much they are allowed to offer him. As a result of only signing Hartenstein to a two-year contract instead of a three-year deal in 2022, the Knicks only have his Early Bird Rights instead of full Bird Rights. Essentially, Bird Rights are exceptions that allow teams to re-sign their own players, even if they would exceed the salary cap to do so.
If the Knicks owned Hartenstein's full Bird Rights, they could essentially keep him on a max-level contract. However, only owning his Early Bird Rights means that New York can't exceed an offer of more than 175% of his previous salary this offseason. That caps the Knicks out at a maximum offer of just over $16 million per season. In total, that would be about a four-year, $72 million offer from the Knicks in free agency to try and keep Hartenstein.
Hartenstein has given the Knicks no reason to believe he doesn't want to be in New York. He was embraced by the organization and has become a fan favorite after stepping up in place of Robinson. At the same time, Hartenstein is coming off of his best season in the league and can truly be a free agent for the first time in his career as far as negotiating a long-term deal goes. Throw in the fact that other teams can offer more than the Knicks can, and all of a sudden, Hartenstein may be on the move in free agency.
Other teams prepare to pursue Isaiah Hartenstein
The Knicks are limited as to what they can offer Hartenstein in free agency. Other teams around the league are able to freely pursue Hartenstein, which doesn't seem to make much sense. Rules are rules, and these stipulations tied to Early Bird Rights and full Bird Rights have been around for quite a while. But if these rules were put in place to help teams retain their own talents, why are the Knicks essentially being penalized in this situation?
The idea of the Knicks being capped at a certain number when other teams around the league can easily offer Hartenstein more money seems foolish. However, this is how it is, and that is why Hartenstein is likely to see a much more lucrative offer from rival teams in free agency.
In fact, any team that is interested in pursuing Hartenstein can blow the Knicks' four-year, $72 million max offer out of the water. If they really wanted to, another organization could offer Hartenstein over $150 million over a four-year span. It is unlikely that he sees this type of money, but this is what the Knicks will be going up against as long as other teams have an excess of available funds to throw Hartenstein's way.
For starters, any team looking to pursue Hartenstein will likely begin bidding around $80 million, which is more than the Knicks' max offer. The good news for the Knicks is that not many teams will enter the offseason with cap space. The Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, and Utah Jazz, three teams with cap space, won't necessarily look at Hartenstein as a player they will need to pursue, opening up the door for a potential return to New York.
The problem is that the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have the ability to open up in excess of $35 million in cap space, have been linked to Hartenstein. The Thunder were first mentioned as a destination for Hartenstein by Yahoo Sports, and this idea was once again reported by Stefon Bondy of The New York Post.
As Bondy put it, the Thunder are viewed as the top threat to pry Hartenstein away from the Knicks in free agency. Next to Chet Holmgren, Hartenstein would prove to be a valuable veteran big man who could aid the Thunder in the one area they need to improve upon this offseason:
Rebounding.
It is certainly possible that the Thunder, or another team looking to upgrade their frontcourt talent, could offer Hartenstein a deal that exceeds $20 million per season. Instead of locking himself into a four-year contract with the Knicks, Hartenstein could also negotiate a short-term deal with a new team in order to maintain flexibility and potentially earn a higher-paying contract in the future, seeing as the league's cap figures are only set to increase over the next several seasons.
The market for centers is small this offseason. Jonas Valanciunas, Nicolas Claxton, and Hartenstein are the three biggest names available as unrestricted free agents. After proving to be a factor as an offensive rebounder and also having the ability to impact the game with his floaters and passing abilities, Hartenstein has secured a substantial raise heading into free agency.
The key question that remains revolves around which team will ultimately pay him what he wants. At this moment, the Thunder seem like the most likely destination for Hartenstein, should he want to chase the best contract possible rather than remain in New York.
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