Is Isaiah Hartenstein Knicks' Next Best Trade Asset?

Isaiah Hartenstein's dominant paint takeover might force the New York Knicks to make an uncomfortable decision down the road.

Ich bin ein New Yorker.

That's what Isaiah Hartenstein, the New York Knicks' rising depth star partly raised in Germany, claims as he addressed rumors about his future amidst the finest stretch of his career to date.

“Right now, I’m a New York Knick,” the free-agent-to-be Hartenstein said last week, per Fred Katz of The Athletic. “That’s the biggest thing. I feel like, yeah, sometimes you have that in the back of your mind. That’s normal. At the end of the day, I wanna be in New York, but it’s a business.”

The seven-foot Hartenstein is New York's latest impactful skyscraper, having helped sustain the Knicks' interior affairs in the aftermath of Mitchell Robinson's long-term injury. While Tom Thibodeau tried to keep Hartenstein's power in relief by starting Jericho Sims, there's no denying that the team has taken major steps forward with the former Los Angeles Clipper amongst the starting five. 

In 10 Hartenstein starts, New York is averaging a plus-4.1 advantage on the glass, which inflates to plus-9.8 over the last four. Hartenstein has set single-game career-highs in rebounding three times over the past 11 games, his current best standing at 20 from Wednesday's 116-100 triumph against the Chicago Bulls. He fell one short of that mark on Saturday in Washington.

This being Knicks basketball in the new century, there's obviously a catch ...

Geoff Burke, USA TODAY SPORTS

Hartenstein Could Earn His Way Out of a New York Job

Hartenstein is currently working through the latter season of a two-year, $16 million contract that lured him away from the West Coast. On pace to set new career highs in almost every major statistical average, Hartenstein could be one of the most coveted interior movers come next summer alongside fellow New Yorker Nic Claxton. 

Leave it to the Knicks to be bitten by their own success: a new year, new roster has ignited an interesting, if not unspoken, conversation in Manhattan, one that ponders whether they should continue to splurge in an attempt to compete for a 2024 title or continue practicing patience, working with a ragtag group that has proven formidable against the NBA's elite (i.e. one-sided wins over Minnesota and Philadelphia to open the calendar year) while fully playing their hand on this summer's free agent class.

The path to a championship, of course, is paved with sacrifices. It's worth wondering whether Hartenstein will be one of them.

If the Knicks have an advantage over the established contenders of the Eastern Conference, it's that they've invested in traditional center types, paint-dwellers whose ultimate impacts aren't seen on the scoreboard or even the box score entirely. Over $27 million is invested in Robinson for the next two seasons and the Knicks and the Knicks have shown interest in keeping Sims ($2 million club option in 2024-25) on a retainer of sorts. That leaves Hartenstein, who might be pushing himself out of a revamped Knicks budget that may have to account for a superstar.

Hartenstein's recent efforts in the starting five (his 10 starts are a career-best) have satisfied his harshest critic: himself. 

"I can play this (starting) role," Hartenstein said after the aforementioned win over Chicago, per Alder Almo of Heavy.com. "I’ve always had the confidence that I could play but I was never really in that situation. Before I finished games but now I’m consistently playing 30-plus minutes."

That could make Hartenstein the Knicks' most valuable asset both on the floor and in the books.

I Love New York! Isaiah Hartenstein Downplays Knicks-Nets Rivalry

Is There A Case To Trade Hartenstein Now?

There's already a very recent historical precedent for cutting ties with a vital contributor: while trading RJ Barrett could've been viewed as an act of mercy, the Knicks' transfer of Immanuel Quickley to Toronto was seen as the most heartbreaking part of the deal that brought OG Anunoby to Manhattan.

Of course, there are major differences between the Quickley and Hartenstein situations: the Knicks' backcourt was rather deep (with Miles McBride doing an admirable job in taking over in the new year) while Hartenstein is making up for the vital loss of Robinson. Katz noted that Anunoby's fellow former Raptor Precious Achiwua (due for a $6.2 million qualifying offer as a restricted free agent) could be "insurance" for Hartenstein's impending departure, but he seems far from ready to accept extended responsibilities (40 minutes over his first four Knick games). 

Thus, the Knicks seemed to be locked in another classic case of damned if they do, damned if they don't. Trade Hartenstein now, and you're relying on Sims and an inexperienced Achiwua to take over Robinson's expansive impact. Don't, and you probably lose him for nothing over the summer. For the time being, the best move is perhaps to stand pat with Hartenstein, especially considering that the Knicks' high-profile targets (I.e. Karl-Anthony Towns, Joel Embiid) more than likely won't be removed if their teams stay at the top of their conferences.

In a hypothetical deal where the Knicks bite another bullet and trade Hartenstein, it'd probably be unwise to assume that he'd be the precious piece that convinces a team to part ways with a game-changing franchise face. Hartenstein could instead further replenish the Knicks' expansive draft cabinet, perhaps to a lingering contender in desperate need of rebounding (i.e. Indiana, Oklahoma City) or defensive (Sacramento) help.  

The drastic dip beyond his talents, however, will likely save Hartenstein an immediate change of address.