Why Knicks Will Miss Isaiah Hartenstein

The New York Knicks are losing Isaiah Hartenstein and it will be a massive loss for the team.

May 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) dunks the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half of game six of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks have made a massive addition by trading for Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets, and they also had a big move by re-signing OG Anunoby to a five-year extension. However, they also had a big loss as they could only watch Isaiah Hartenstein sign a three-year, $87 million deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Hartenstein was offered a four-year, $72.5 million deal by the Knicks — the most New York could give — but it was nowhere close to the $29 million annual deal he got from the Thunder.

ESPN writer Chris Herring believes losing Hartenstein is a massive blow for the Knicks.

"Not only did the Knicks lose one of the league's best offensive rebounders, big-man passers and rim protectors -- Hartenstein held opposing shooters more than 11 percentage points beneath their averages around the basket this past season, one of the best marks in the league -- they also saw their depth at the center position take a massive hit, considering Mitchell Robinson's injury history and the physical, demanding brand of basketball that Thibodeau's teams almost always play," Herring writes.

Centers are growing in importance in the NBA, especially those who can protect the rim at Hartenstein's level. Robinson can be good, but he's coming off an ankle surgery and may not be 100 percent throughout the season.

The Knicks could have tried to sign a number of free agent centers since losing Hartenstein last week, but the big men have been flying off the shelves this summer. Hartenstein's big and early signing set the bar for centers on the market, resulting in a number of different signings across the league, and the Knicks struck out on each one.

New York may have some hope with Robinson and Jericho Sims, but the chances of either of them having a breakout like Hartenstein did is slim. Both of them are serviceable and shouldn't knock the Knicks out of the playoff contending window, but New York's ceiling may not be as high with Hartenstein no longer manning the middle.

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