Isaiah Hartenstein: The In-Demand Center with a Projected $80 Million Price Tag in NBA Free Agency

New York, New York, USA United States of America
Hartenstein had career-high stats with Knicks: 25.3 mins, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 blocks and 7.8 pts.
Hartenstein's free agency comes at a time when there is a lack of strong starting center options.
Isaiah Hartenstein is a free agent center in NBA with projected $80 million offer.
Knicks can only offer Hartenstein a $72.5 million contract due to salary cap situation.
Thunder, Magic and Pistons are reportedly interested in signing Hartenstein.
Isaiah Hartenstein: The In-Demand Center with a Projected $80 Million Price Tag in NBA Free Agency

The NBA offseason is heating up, and one of the most intriguing free agent centers on the market is Isaiah Hartenstein. With his impressive performance during the playoffs for the New York Knicks, Hartenstein has caught the attention of many teams looking to bolster their rosters.

According to reports from various sources, including Yahoo Sports and Hoops Rumors, Hartenstein is expected to receive offers worth at least $80 million in NBA free agency. This comes after a successful season with the Knicks where he started a career-high 49 games and averaged a career-high 25.3 minutes per game.

Hartenstein's impact on the Knicks was significant, especially during their run to the second round of the playoffs. He set or matched other career highs with 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 blocks per contest, and averaged 7.8 points per game on a high shooting percentage.

Despite his impressive stats, Hartenstein's future with the Knicks is uncertain due to their salary cap situation. The best they can offer him is a four-year, $72.5 million contract using his Early Bird rights.

The Thunder are one of the teams reportedly interested in signing Hartenstein, despite his playing style not fitting theirs perfectly. His rebounding abilities could address their rebounding issues from the previous playoffs.

Other teams that have been mentioned as potential suitors for Hartenstein include the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons. However, it's unclear whether these teams will still be in the market for a center after making other roster moves.

Hartenstein's free agency comes at a time when there is a lack of strong starting center options on the market. Jarrett Allen is expected to receive offers similar to Hartenstein, but his salary range may not be as high due to his contract situation with the Cavaliers.

Nic Claxton and Jonas Valanciunas are other established starting centers who will be unrestricted free agents, but their salary ranges are projected lower than Hartenstein's.

Maxi Kleiber could also be a trade target for teams looking to add Hartenstein, as the Mavericks face cap chicanery to re-sign Derrick Jones Jr. However, this is just speculation at this point.

As we wait for the NBA Finals to conclude and free agency to begin, one thing is clear: Isaiah Hartenstein will have a lot of suitors vying for his services.



Confidence

96%

Doubts
  • It's unclear if Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons are still in the market for a center after making other roster moves.
  • The exact salary offers from each team for Hartenstein are not mentioned.

Sources

99%

  • Unique Points
    • Isaiah Hartenstein finished the 2023-24 season shooting 64.4% from the field.
    • Isaiah Hartenstein had a career-best 4.3 assists per game against Indianapolis in Round 2 of the playoffs.
    • Isaiah Hartenstein is headed for unrestricted free agency and is likely to receive a major payday.
    • The Knicks can offer Isaiah Hartenstein a four-year, $72.5 million deal due to his early Bird rights.
    • Any interested team can offer Isaiah Hartenstein up to double the amount the Knicks can offer (up to $151.6 million over four years).
    • Isaiah Hartenstein acknowledged that he will receive a significant payday in free agency.
    • The market for starting centers is not flush with strong options, and Isaiah Hartenstein could be in high demand.
    • Jarrett Allen still has two years and $40 million left on his deal, making him less likely to be available for trade or free agency.
    • Nic Claxton’s expected salary range is similar to Hartenstein’s, but he is unlikely to leave the Nets due to their strong on-court connection with Donovan Mitchell.
    • Jonas Valanciunas is another established starting center who will be an unrestricted free agent, but his salary range is projected closer to the $12.9 million mid-level exception.
    • Maxi Kleiber could be a trade target for teams looking to add Isaiah Hartenstein, as the Mavericks face cap chicanery to re-sign Derrick Jones Jr.
    • Oklahoma City has been mentioned as a potential destination for Isaiah Hartenstein due to their rebounding woes in the playoffs.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy when Tom Thibodeau comments on Hartenstein's performance against Joel Embiid. However, this is not a significant issue as the author does not rely solely on Thibodeau's statement and provides additional context and analysis.
    • Tom Thibodeau: 'They went through a lot to go up against him every possession.', 'Knowing what [Embiid’s] capable of, knowing that he knows how to play the game, knows how to get fouled, knows how to get points. The things they were able to do night in and night out ... they kept fighting.'
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

97%

  • Unique Points
    • Isaiah Hartenstein is considered one of the best center options in NBA free agency this summer.
    • The Thunder are frequently mentioned as a possible destination for Hartenstein despite his playing style not fitting theirs.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

  • Unique Points
    • Isaiah Hartenstein is expected to receive offers worth at least $80 million in NBA free agency.
    • Hartenstein had a nomadic NBA career, playing for four teams in his first four seasons.
    • He averaged a career-high 8.3 points per game and set or matched other career highs with the Knicks in the 2022-23 season.
    • Hartenstein started a career-high 49 games and averaged a career-high 25.3 minutes per game for New York in the current season.
    • He set or matched other career highs with 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 blocks per contest, and averaged 7.8 points per game on a high shooting percentage.
    • Hartenstein played a huge role in the Knicks’ run to the second round of the playoffs, averaging career-high postseason numbers in points, rebounds and assists.
    • Key players such as Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby missed significant time due to injuries this season.
    • Hartenstein provides a major defensive presence in the paint for the Knicks.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

  • Unique Points
    • Isaiah Hartenstein is an impending free agent center.
    • The Oklahoma City Thunder are expected to have interest in signing Isaiah Hartenstein.
    • Hartenstein's rebounding could address the Thunder’s rebounding issues.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

  • Unique Points
    • Isaiah Hartenstein had 17 rebounds in Game 5, with 12 being offensive rebounds.
    • Isaiah Hartenstein is the ninth player in NBA history and the first Knick since Charles Oakley (1994) to have 12 offensive rebounds in a playoff game.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The author's statements are primarily descriptive and do not contain any obvious fallacies. However, there is an instance of an appeal to authority in the form of a quote from Josh Hart. Additionally, there are some instances of inflammatory rhetoric used to describe the Knicks' performance in previous games ('in the mud') and their need to 'be more physical'. These do not significantly impact the overall quality of the article and do not detract from its informational value.
    • ]“What they did in Indiana, no one was proud of.” Hartenstein said of the difference between Game 4 and 5.
    • ']“We were in the mud. Still, that can't happen. We came together. We wanted to be more physical and play Knicks basketball. We got back to that today.”'
    • ']“Isaiah was phenomenal.” Thibodeau said.
    • ']“It means a lot. At the end of the day, that was how I was coming into the game. I wanted to be more physical, I wanted to get back to how I was rebounding before.” he said.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication