The New York Knicks risk losing their starting center in free agency, as Isaiah Hartenstein will be an unrestricted free agent. He was instrumental in New York's success the past two seasons, which would make his departure sting that much more.
The Knicks have Hartenstein's Early Bird Rights, allowing them to go over the cap to re-sign them. However, it also means they're restricted in how much they can offer him. New York's best offer is four years, $72.5 million. The center has expressed his desire to stay with the Knicks, but he could be lured away by a team with a better offer.
3 teams who could offer Isaiah Hartenstein more money than Knicks in free agency
3. Detroit Pistons (projected to have $64.4 million in cap space)
The Pistons were the laughingstock in the NBA in 2023-24. They lost 28 straight games, setting the record for the most consecutive losses in league history. Detroit has already switched things up this offseason, naming Trajan Langdon as the President of Basketball Operations and parting ways with GM Troy Weaver.
Depending on the direction Langdon wants to take, the Pistons could throw a lot of money at Hartenstein, more than any other team could offer.
Jalen Duren has been Detroit's starting center for the past two seasons. He averaged 13.8 points and 11.6 rebounds per game in 2023-24. He was one of the only bright spots in an otherwise miserable year. It's hard to see the Pistons signing Hartenstein with the intention of Duren coming off the bench. Duren's only 20, and the potential he's already put on display has been impressive.
Detroit is still a landing spot for Hartenstein that is worth exploring, mainly because of its cap space. It'd be tough for I-Hart to pass on the amount of money the Pistons could offer. Is that something Langdon is willing to do? Or will he use the cap space instead to take on bad contracts in return for draft assets?
2. Orlando Magic (projected to have $33 million in cap space)
Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported that Hartenstein nearly signed with the Magic in 2022 before he joined the Knicks. Two years later, Orlando has the cap space to make a run for the center again if they want. The Magic now have Wendell Carter Jr., Moritz Wagner, and Jonathan Isaac playing minutes at the five.
Hartenstein might not turn Orlando's head in free agency this time around, but the Magic should at least consider it, especially since Hartenstein would be an upgrade over Carter Jr. Hartenstein played in 75 regular-season games this past season, while Carter Jr. played in 55. In 2022-23. I-Hart played in all 82 regular-season games for the Knicks. He's durable.
If Orlando offered Hartenstein $20 million a year, the team would still have around $13 million to make corresponding moves. The Magic are coming off a season where they made the playoffs for the first time in four years, so maybe they'll be more aggressive than previous offseasons. Hartenstein has postseason experience, and he's proven that there isn't a challenge he won't accept.
Still, Orlando doesn't seem like a team that will seriously pursue Hartenstein in free agency. Maybe that sentiment will change.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (projected to have $33 million in cap space)
Over the past few weeks, the Thunder have emerged as a potential free-agency destination for Hartenstein because of their cap space. His fit in Oklahoma City is a question mark. Still, there's something behind HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reporting that rival executives are "monitoring" the Thunder as a team in the free-agent center market.
Jake Fischer wrote a piece about why Hartenstein will be free agency's best big man, and once again, OKC was mentioned. Fischer cited the Thunder's need for another rebounder, especially after the playoffs. Hartenstein averaged a career-high 8.3 boards in 2023-24.
Oklahoma City has its starting center of the future in Chet Holmgren, who finished as runner-up for Rookie of the Year. However, as Fischer noted, Hartenstein is used to sharing the floor with another big man, something he did with the Knicks.
If Sam Presti and the front office want to add Hartenstein to the roster (which doesn't seem likely), they could make a better offer than New York. The center would go from the No. 2 team in the East to the top team in the West, which is a good selling point for OKC. Will Hartenstein be lured to Oklahoma, or will he want to stay in New York as the primary starting center?