Knicks Need Isaiah Hartenstein Defense to Contend

New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein is coming off the best season of his career, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for him.

Hartenstein finished playing on the final season of his two-year, $16 million contract, and his strong play has earned him a raise in free agency this summer.

Hartenstein, 26, averaged 7.8 points and a career-high 8.3 rebounds per game in 75 games with the Knicks this season, but he made his strongest impact on the defensive end protecting the rim.

“Had Hartenstein qualified, he would have had a case for making an All-Defensive team,” ESPN’s Kevin Pelton writes. “Opponents shot just 52.5% on attempts within five feet from where Hartenstein was the primary defender, good for a top-10 finish among players that defended at least four such shots per game, according to NBA Advanced Stats. That should earn Hartenstein a raise off last year’s $9.25 million salary.”

That’s why it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Hartenstein make upwards of $72.5 million over four years in a contract this summer. He’s about to enter his prime and the Knicks could have him as the starting center during the best years of his career.

With a full offseason as the starter under his belt, Hartenstein could grow even further and truly become great for the Knicks.

However, his future in New York is murky. As an unrestricted free agent, Hartenstein has a few suitors around the league, including the Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic. Both teams could hypothetically offer Hartenstein more money in an attempt to woo him away from the Knicks.

While following the money and chasing the bag is important, especially for a young player like Hartenstein about to sign his biggest contract yet, it’s not all about the dollar sign.

Hartenstein would start with the Knicks, but that wouldn’t necessarily be the case with the Thunder or Magic. Plus, he’s already comfortable with the Knicks. Leaving for another team in free agency would be a risk for Hartenstein, but the Knicks hope he stays home and doesn’t have to figure out if leaving would be worth it or not.

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