The 2024 NBA Offseason has been a big one for the New York Knicks. Things have gone their way in the early going, but on Monday they suffered their first major loss. The Oklahoma City Thunder were successful in poaching center Isaiah Hartenstein.
According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Isaiah Hartenstein agreed to a massive contract. It is a three-year, $87 million deal, which blows away the max the New York Knicks could offer, which was four years and $72 million.
The deal was worked out by his representatives at CAA, Aaron Mintz and Drew Morrison. A deal was completed, according to Wojnarowski, in the early hours of Monday morning by Sam Presti.
This is a contract that Isaiah Hartenstein earned with his incredible performance last season. When Mitchell Robinson went down with an injury, Hartenstein stepped into the starting lineup and the team didn’t miss a beat. In some regard, they improved given his versatility on the offensive side.
As Wojnarowski noted, the Oklahoma City Thunder have made two major upgrades to their rotation already this offseason. In addition to Isaiah Hartenstein, the team acquired Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls.
In a trade that left many people scratching their heads, Caruso was acquired in exchange for Josh Giddey straight up. The Bulls reportedly turned down deals including first-round picks for Caruso, as the Oklahoma City Thunder add one of the better two-way guards in the NBA.
As for the New York Knicks, they are now back to the drawing board at the center position. Including Mitchell Robinson as part of the Mikal Bridges blockbuster is likely off the table now with Isaiah Hartenstein leaving in free agency.
With Andre Drummond and Jonas Valanciunas already agreeing to deals with the Philadelphia 76ers and Washington Wizards, it is slim pickings in free agency. Goga Bitadze, Mo Bamba and Drew Eubanks could all be potential targets for the New York Knicks to replace Isaiah Hartenstein.
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