Knicks Center Could Get Heavy Raise

The New York Knicks want Isaiah Hartenstein to return to the team this summer on a new free agent contract. However, they may not be able to outbid fellow suitors.

Hartenstein, 26, is a free agent after completing his two-year, $16 million deal that he signed with the Knicks in 2022. After playing well on the contract and blossoming into a starter this past season, Hartenstein is expected to sign the biggest deal of his career so far in a matter of weeks.

Bleacher Report predicts that the Oklahoma City Thunder will offer Hartenstein a contract that will surpass what the Knicks can offer.

“Hartenstein, 26, was a significant part of the Knicks’ postseason run as injuries decimated the team (Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, etc.). New York is limited to a starting offer of $16.2 million via his early Bird rights, an amount the Thunder can comfortably exceed,” Bleacher Report writes. “Perhaps a three-year, $60 million deal would do the trick. That could leave OKC without $14 million in cap space to round out the roster (via free agency or trade), plus the $8 million RMLE.”

Hartenstein averaged 7.8 points and a career-high 8.3 rebounds per game with the Knicks this past season while making 49 starts. It’s arguably the best statistical season Hartenstein has had in his six-year career and there’s reason to believe he has more room to grow.

Hartenstein would be given a starting spot for the Knicks next season if he were to return, and that might be the reason he would choose to stay in New York instead of signing with Oklahoma City.

The Thunder have Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 overall pick from the 2022 NBA Draft, starting at center for the foreseeable future. However, they have enough cap space to bolster their center rotation and add Hartenstein, even if his presence isn’t exactly needed. The Thunder won 57 games last season, which marked the second-best record in the league behind the Boston Celtics. Perhaps signing Hartenstein and improving their depth is what the Thunder need to get over the top.

However, even if the Thunder are making a strong push, the Knicks won’t go down without a fight.

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