Knicks Predicted to Re-Sign Rising Center

The New York Knicks will need to pay up if they want to keep starting center Isaiah Hartenstein from leaving to another team in free agency.

Hartenstein, 26, averaged 7.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game this past season with the Knicks and was thrust into the starting lineup when Mitchell Robinson was sidelined with an ankle injury. Hartenstein proved to be more than capable as a starter, and even showed to be better at times.

That’s why Bleacher Report predicts that the Knicks will re-sign Hartenstein in free agency.

“Odds are the Knicks will keep Hartenstein,” Bleacher Report writes. “He proved too valuable on both ends to let go, and Mitchell Robinson’s continued injury issues render the center rotation thinner than it seems. But smart teams who watched him play such a key role for a New York squad that came within a game of the Conference Finals will be tempted to make bigger offers than the Knicks are allowed to match.”

Hartenstein will have interest from other teams, and he will have to listen since he’s about to sign the biggest contract of his career. However, there’s reason to believe Hartenstein wants to stay in the Big Apple.

“Hartenstein is among a small group of free agent centers this summer (Jonas Valančiūnas, Nic Claxton). Bringing Hartenstein back has been a priority for the Knicks,” SNY’s Ian Begley writes. “His re-signing was a factor included in their approach to extension negotiations with Immanuel Quickley. So, I would assume the Knicks and Hartenstein agree on a deal. New York can begin talking to Hartenstein after the NBA Finals.”

Ultimately, the Knicks would not have been the same without Hartenstein this year, and if he doesn’t return, New York may not be able to perform at the best of its ability. That’s why the Knicks are making it a priority to bring back their big man.

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