Isaiah Hartenstein still assisting Knicks even after leaving for Thunder

Before the New York Knicks officially lost Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency, they acquired a center from Germany on draft night. The Mavericks selected Ariel Hukporti with the No. 58 overall pick and traded his rights to the Knicks.

For a few days, Hukporti and Hartenstein were teammates. Hartenstein was born in Oregon, but moved to Germany when he was a kid for his father's (who is German-American) professional basketball career.

Hukporti and Hartenstein know one another, so when New York drafted the 22-year-old, he was excited about playing alongside the 26-year-old. Unfortunately, that excitement was short-lived, as the Thunder offered Hartenstein money he couldn't turn down.

Hukporti still got some advice from Hartenstein, which certainly won't be his last from the now Oklahoma City center.

"He’s like, ‘Make sure you bring energy to the table, a lot of defense, rebounding, make sure you keep your game simple, don’t complicate it,’ ” Hukporti said. “Just listen to the coaches whatever they want on defense. Make sure you’re capable of adapting and all that."

- Ariel Hukporti, via NYP

Knicks center Ariel Hukporti and Isaiah Hartenstein share German connection

Hartenstein is a good person for Hukporti to look up to. He was also a second-round selection, as the Rockets drafted him with the No. 43 pick in 2017. It took a few years for Hartenstein to find his footing, but it paid off (literally) when he did.

Some Knicks fans have critiqued Hartenstein for following the money versus taking the Jalen Brunson route, but as a role player, he did what's best for himself and his family. Hartenstein signing a three-year, $87 million contract is good motivation for players like Hukporti. Second-round picks can get paid, too (Brunson knows).

New York signed Hukporti to a two-way contract, so the seven-footer will spend most of his time in Westchester. Like every other rookie, he has things he needs to work on. The Knicks need another backup center after losing Hartenstein, a void Hukporti can't yet fill. Maybe sooner rather than later, he'll be able to.