The hard work for summer is likely already done.
The Knicks made a blockbuster trade for Mikal Bridges and then re-signed OG Anunoby, the team’s biggest free agent.
There’s always the possibility that another big trade could happen before next season.
As for free agency, which begins at 6 p.m. Sunday, the Knicks have no cap space and are subject to the NBA’s new restrictive apron system.
It’s a very complicated situation, but from a free agency standpoint, the Knicks could end up as a second apron team (the most restrictive) and not be able to use the mid-level exception at all.
That means they can only sign players to minimum contracts.
If the Knicks are a first-apron team, they can utilize the taxpayer mid-level exception, which is projected to be worth $5.2 million in salary in 2023-24.
There aren’t many options available at that price in today’s NBA.
The Knicks also have a very solid rotation.
There are big questions at center (more on that later), but the eight guys are solid: 1. Jalen Brunson, 2. Julius Randle, 3. Bridges, 4. Anunoby, 5. Mitchell Robinson, 6. Josh Hart, 7. Donte DiVincenzo and 8. Miles McBride are all under contract for next season.
DiVincenzo led the Eastern Conference in 3-pointers made by a wide margin last season and is ranked 7th on this list.
If one of New York’s four draft picks plays well, or if Jericho Sims takes a step forward, they could have an impressive nine-man rotation.
Can they still get better? Well, how? Re-sign Isaiah Hartenstein.
His free agency is the Knicks’ biggest question heading into Sunday, and the answer is multifaceted.
The discussion starts with the idea that the Knicks could offer Hartenstein up to four years, $72.5 million with early signing rights. Until recently, that amount would have been more than enough to secure a player who had never averaged more than 8.3 points per game. But Hartenstein blossomed last season after Robinson’s ankle injury, showing his trademark toughness with a reliable floater and an expanded offensive repertoire. He’s now arguably the best center in a weak free-agent class in a strong NBA economy.
One of Hartenstein’s rivals, Nic Claxton, just re-signed with the Nets for a whopping four years and $100 million, which bodes well for Hartenstein’s bank account. As one source reiterated this week, Hartenstein is expected to receive more offers than the Knicks can muster. As the Post reported, the Thunder are viewed as a risky target by NBA sources, and the Magic have also emerged as a threat. Those two teams, plus the 76ers, Pistons, Spurs and Jazz, have enough salary-cap room to dwarf New York’s highest offer.
Hartenstein is known to like New York and his teammates. After struggling to adapt to Tom Thibodeau’s system at first, Hartenstein’s play and reputation have risen to a level that now commands high-paying attention. A four-year contract with New York gives Hartenstein, who became a father for the first time this month, stability in a comfortable spot. In a world where Hartenstein would re-sign with the Knicks for less money, at least the average salary, he’s likely to be able to do so.
But the Knicks will have to negotiate further before offering Hartenstein a reasonable amount, and the way the Bridges trade is currently done — which could change before it’s official — means he’s hit the hard cap at the first apron and doesn’t have the freedom to spend up to $72.5 million over four years.
The hard cap is due to the fact that the salary the Knicks would receive in a trade for Bridges is greater than the salary they would pay Brooklyn. One way to mitigate this would be to add McBride and his $4.7 million salary to the trade. A source said the Knicks intended to agree to a contract extension with McBride in December of last season because it would take six months for him to become trade eligible. McBride’s extension was officially announced on Dec. 30, six months later on Sunday, the start of free agency. It’s no coincidence.
Still, McBride was such a key part of the Knicks’ success last season that it’s hard to imagine team president Leon Rose shipping him to Brooklyn without a guarantee that Hartenstein would re-sign. Another possible move that would free up the flexibility to re-sign Hartenstein would be to trade Robinson. Even then, it wouldn’t matter if Hartenstein accepted a more lucrative option.
And starting Sunday, he can officially start receiving those offers.
