DALLAS — The competitors for Isaiah Hartenstein might very nicely embody a staff with a harmful trio — cap house, respectable title aspirations and wish for a middle.
The Thunder is seen by NBA sources as the highest menace to pry Hartenstein away from the Knicks in free company.
After ending atop the Western Convention with 57 wins within the common season, Oklahoma Metropolis could make a stronger bid for Hartenstein than the Knicks, who’re capped out however can supply a beginning wage of roughly $17 million utilizing their Early Fowl Rights.
The Thunder has roughly $35 million in cap house and a glut of draft belongings to construct on its shocking success final season.
The roster might additionally use a hard-nosed middle like Hartenstein, who broke out with a profession season after changing the injured Mitchell Robinson in Tom Thibodeau’s beginning lineup.
“It’s actual,” an NBA supply mentioned of OKC’s curiosity in Hartenstein.
For any staff pursuing Hartenstein in unrestricted free company this summer season, the large query is value.
Final season was his first as a starter after getting picked within the second spherical of the 2017 draft.
A journeyman for the primary a part of his profession, the 26-year-old has already been part of 5 NBA organizations.
Now there’s an argument for Hartenstein being the highest middle in 2024 free company — relying on the place you rank him with Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton and New Orleans’ Jonas Valanciunas.
The worth of facilities within the NBA is diminished and final season ESPN entrance workplace insider Bobby Marks projected Hartenstein’s subsequent deal to begin at roughly $13 million-$14 million.
That will surely match into New York’s Early Fowl Rights. However there’s additionally a supply-and-demand issue that would launch Hartenstein’s wage.
The 2024 free-agency class is weak and a number of other groups — the Spurs, Magic, Thunder, Jazz, Hornets, Pistons and Sixers — are loaded with spending money.
One league supply speculated the Thunder would supply a short-term deal (similar to two years) with a excessive wage, offering either side with long-term flexibility.
Given their cap restraints, the Knicks’ supply for Hartenstein can max at 4 years, $72.5 million — primarily the identical contract they gave Joakim Noah in 2016.
It will symbolize a hefty funding whereas the Knicks have one other middle — Robinson — on the books for the subsequent two seasons at roughly $27 million.
Furthermore, if the Knicks re-sign OG Anunoby, as anticipated, they’re working dangerously near luxury-tax thresholds. That will make it tougher to chase a star within the commerce market.
No matter his value this summer season, Hartenstein was very important to the Knicks run to the convention semifinals and is exceptionally sturdy in comparison with Robinson, who has undergone a number of surgical procedures.
Final season, Hartenstein posted career-high averages in rebounds (8.3), assists (2.5), taking pictures share (63.4 %) and minutes (25.3). He was fifth within the NBA in whole offensive rebounds.
OKC’s beginning middle final season was Chet Holmgren, who’s extra of a finesse energy ahead — a la Kevin Durant — than a bruising middle like Hartenstein.
The Thunder’s largest weak point, not coincidentally, was rebounding. No staff within the convention had a worse price.
A part of that was by design — the Thunder’s space-the-floor offense relies on having 5 shooters within the lineup.
However that wasn’t sufficient to get OKC out of the second spherical of the playoffs, having misplaced to the Mavericks whereas its offense plummeted.
Now the Thunder are getting into a summer season with loads of choices, and Hartenstein might be one among them.
