This hurts. This breaks my heart. Isaiah Hartstein wasn’t supposed to be an integral part of the Knicks’ basketball DNA. He was supposed to be a backup who played 15 or 18 minutes hard, worked like a hard hat around the basket and contributed when he could.
Instead, he’s become a central figure in how the Knicks have developed this spring, an emotional core that dovetails with players like Josh Hart, the two grabbing seemingly impossible offensive rebounds and clutch defensive rebounds, Hartenstein developing the pick-and-roll chemistry with Jalen Brunson that unlocked much of the Knicks’ offense, even developing that little left-handed flip shot that makes about 91 percent of the time.
He turned out better than expected.
And now he’s probably a lot richer than he ever thought he would be. Hartenstein officially announced Monday morning what the Knicks had long feared: He signed a three-year, $87 million godfather contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Knicks were never able to get close to the deal because of the four-year, $72.5 million cap hit that Hartenstein’s Early Bird Rights granted them.
Just two years ago, on July 1, 2022, Hartenstein quietly arrived in New York on a two-year, $16 million contract, but the news was completely eclipsed by the Knicks signing Jalen Brunson the same day. Hartenstein was considered a smart signing, but by no means an exciting one.
He changed that. During this Knicks’ first notable playoff run in 2023, they beat Cleveland five straight times, with Hartenstein teaming with Mitch Robinson to completely dominate the Cavaliers’ young twin towers of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
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Then this season, after Robinson missed most of the regular season and the final 10 playoff games with an ankle injury, he was called upon to start for much of the season and became one of the Garden’s second-string heroes alongside Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. It was hard not to be charmed by Hartstein’s passion, unselfishness and willingness to play through injury.
“He’s smart, he’s physical. You ask him to do a lot of stuff and he gets it done,” Tom Thibodeau said during the NBA series against the 76ers. “He’s a guy who can win. And there’s always a place in this game for guys who can win.”
They just didn’t have the money in the coffers to keep him, and what’s even more painful is that it was the Knicks who nurtured Hartenstein and molded him into the player he is today. Hartenstein was a journeyman early in his career, with stops in Houston, Denver, Cleveland and the Clippers, but it was in Los Angeles that he first showed glimpses of his potential.
He did it all in New York, with help from the Knicks coaching staff. Now he’s off to Oklahoma City, the top seed in the West last year. And the only thing the Thunder lacked down the stretch was a physical presence to back up Chet Holmgren. They now have that. Good for the Thunder. Even better for Hartenstein.
It’s not so good for the Knicks. On Sunday, potential target Mason Plumlee signed with the Suns, and on Monday morning the 76ers acquired Paul George. Let’s not forget that the Knicks still have Robinson, and he was a pivot candidate until circumstances made him otherwise. His offense isn’t as good as Hartenstein’s, but his defense is top-notch. His issue has always been staying on the court.
And that’s now a problem for the Knicks, because at this point they have to view him as a player they have to rely on more than ever. What’s next is for the Knicks to find the next Hartenstein — a player with a reasonable enough price tag to acquire and enough potential to intrigue teams — and put them through the same kind of rigorous development boot camp that turned Hartenstein into a nearly $30 million player.
The Knicks helped him get that score, but they’re not celebrating it today. Instead, they’re getting back to work. Last week, they added Mikal Bridges, retained OG Anunoby, and took two steps forward. And now they’re taking a step back.
Long ago, Garden favorite Xavier McDaniel left the Knicks with the Garden roar still ringing in his ears. The summer of 1992 felt like a knee-jerk blow to the Knicks. A year later, they won 60 games. Two years later, they were in the Finals. Good teams figure things out on the fly. Dave Checkett and Ernie Grunfeld did it in 1992. Now it’s Leon Rose’s turn.
