By Shams Charania, Fred Katz and Mark Puleo
Former New York Knicks middle Isaiah Hartenstein is heading to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder on a three-year deal price $87 million, in response to league sources.
The Knicks provided Hartenstein the total four-year, $72.5 million deal they may, in response to a league supply. He elected to check out free company. The Knicks by no means pulled the provide. They wished him again. They simply weren’t allowed to pay him sufficient.
Hartenstein is an amazing match with the Thunder. He doesn’t simply assist with their rim safety and rebounding. He additionally matches completely inside their id of fast decision-making. Oklahoma Metropolis’s offense is all about screening fast, passing fast, reducing rapidly and for that, Hartenstein is the perfect addition.
The Knicks anticipated this departure, as they’ve been maneuvering because the begin of free company seeking a brand new middle. That doesn’t change right here. Mitchell Robinson, as of now, could be the beginning 5.
Hartenstein grew to become a fan favourite at Madison Sq. Backyard for his vitality on the boards and on the protection finish. Because the Knicks handled a plethora of accidents, Hartenstein stepped into the beginning lineup and completed 2023-24 with profession highs of 49 begins and 25.3 minutes per sport. He averaged 7.8 factors, 8.3 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 1.2 steals per sport for the Knicks, who relied on his manufacturing after Robinson went down with harm.
Hartenstein had beforehand by no means began greater than eight video games in a season and has performed for 5 groups in his six-year profession.
He joined New York on a two-year, $16 million deal in 2022, a contract he outplayed.
The 26-year-old was drafted with the No. 43 choose by the Houston Rocket in 2017, however spent a lot of his first few years within the G League. Hartenstein performed professionally in Germany earlier than declaring for the NBA Draft.
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(Photograph: Sarah Stier / Getty Pictures)