Isaiah Hartenstein has demonstrated that the role can be a climax.
The Knicks' backup center job, which at the time was next to the injury-prone Mitchell Robinson on the roster, could be the springboard for an $87 million free agent contract.
Early bird rights make the price higher than the Knicks' maximum offer.
This time last year, Hartenstein started racking up the results that would eventually lead to a huge payday with the Thunder.
He started the first game of the 2023-24 season on December 20, shortly after Robinson was injured 12 days earlier, and remained in place for the remainder of the season despite Robinson returning and being injured again. continued to protect.
“I felt like I was probably good enough to start most of the time,” Hartenstein said Friday before returning to the Garden for the first time as a member of the Thunder. “I think it was a luxury back when me and Mitch were together. I think we had two starting centers on the same team.”
But Hartenstein's return served as a stark reminder of the Knicks' looming dilemma a month before the NBA trade deadline.
They no longer have that luxury.
The blueprint that worked for Hartenstein is not a script that can be applied to the next group of candidates.
Robinson has not played as a secondary this season, but the timeline for his return remains uncertain.
The Knicks solved that problem by acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns in the preseason, but they don't have another Hartenstein on reserve.
If Towns' knee continues to become inflamed, he won't have a reliable option to seamlessly plug in if he misses time and Robinson doesn't return.
The prized Achiuwa remains a smaller option.
Jericho Sims flashed his potential at times before falling out of Tom Thibodeau's rotation.
This is the cost of depth issues.
This is the result of losing a player like Hartenstein, even if the Knicks do everything they can to keep him.
And that's what the first two games against the Knicks (a thrilling Jan. 3 game in Oklahoma City and Friday's rematch at the Garden) could have been for Leon Rose and company. It's a brutal amalgamation of what-ifs, what-ifs, and what-is-nows.
Meanwhile, Hartenstein has flourished for the Thunder, averaging 12.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game entering Friday.
Knicks' standout moments last season, like grabbing the offensive rebound that led to Donte DiVincenzo's game-winning 3-pointer in Game 2 of their playoff series against the 76ers, turned into performances like Wednesday's, when he added two assists. It ended without reaching me. Triple double.
His style of basketball “brings wins,” Josh Hart said Wednesday.
“I mean, I don’t want anyone to get hurt; [Robinson] I had a few injuries, but I grabbed the moment,” Hartenstein said of his opportunity with the Knicks last season. “…It was definitely the right time, but I felt like I could have been in that position at any time.”
He expected a mix of boos and cheers as he returned to the Garden.
And as it unfolded during a first-quarter timeout, the Knicks welcomed Hartenstein with a short video, and the search for his replacement continued. Achiuwa is averaging 5.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, but at just 6 feet 8 inches tall, the Knicks will always face a height disadvantage if he plays center.
Sims was praised by Thibodeau as “elite” for his rebounding in October, and although he started in December when Towns missed two games, he was completely removed from the rotation.
The Knicks could carry this dilemma into the deadline.
As the Post's Stephen Bondy pointed out earlier this week, they could choose to pursue names like the Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas, the Hornets' Nick Richards and the Raptors' Kelly Olynyk. Ta.
He may decide to continue playing alongside Towns despite his lingering knee problems.
At the heart of the matter, they haven't found the next Hartenstein yet.
The next project Thibodeau will sculpt.
A plug-and-play solution for:
The next piece could be worth $87 million, or some other price the Knicks can't sustain.
And time is running out.
