Kofi Inkoom
Free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein is set to sign a three-year, $87 million deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to sources cited by Shams Charania. Hartenstein leaves the Knicks for this lucrative contract, providing OKC with a strong presence in the paint.
Hartenstein began his NBA journey with the Houston Rockets in 2018, but it was with the Clippers in the 2021/22 season that he truly made a name for himself.
For the past two years, he’s been playing in New York, mainly as Mitchell Robinson’s backup at center. However, when Robinson suffered an ankle injury midway through the 2023/24 season, Hartenstein stepped into the starting role and performed admirably.
In 75 regular season games, including 49 starts, Hartenstein averaged 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game, while shooting an impressive 64.4% from the field and playing strong defense.
He continued to start during the playoffs, where he upped his stats to 8.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game over 29.8 minutes per contest.
The Knicks were keen to keep Hartenstein and offered him the maximum they could under the rules governing his contract—approximately $72.5 million over four years.
However, the Thunder came in with a much better offer, exceeding the Knicks’ best proposal in just three years instead of four, which Hartenstein found more appealing.
More details to follow..