Isaiah Hartenstein openly told Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto he loves New York and wants to stay with the team. Knicks.
But with one requirement.
The Knicks must give him a salary.
“I’m focused on what I’m doing right now,” Hartenstein told Scotto after he helped the Knicks stage a 21-point comeback win over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, April 4, at Madison Square Garden. “I know I’ve put myself in a great position to get a little upgrade.
Right now, I’m focused on the Knicks. I love it here, and hopefully, we’ll figure something out, but at the end of the day, business is business.”
When Scotto further pressed him and asked if the other teams and Knicks’ offers were equal, his answer was telling.
“Yeah,” Hartenstein replied.
Isaiah Hartenstein Enjoys Career Season
The 25-year-old Hartenstein’s best season comes at the right time when he is set to become an unrestricted free agent. He is averaging career numbers across the board: 8.3 rebounds, 7.5 points, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 24.9 minutes while shooting 63.7% from the field.
Hartenstein is due for a significant increase from the two-year, $18 million he signed with the Knicks during the 2022 free agency. The Knicks hold his early Bird rights, which means they could pay him a starting salary of $16 million for a minimum of two seasons, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Paying him $16 million per year will make Hartenstein the 16th highest-paid center in the league next season, per Spotrac, above Mitchell Robinson, who will slide to 18th with his $14.3 million salary.
All 15 centers who would earn more than Hartenstein are starting for their teams except Zach Collins, the 15th-highest-paid center. Hartenstein and Robinson’s rankings will move depending on how much Jonas Valanciunas and Nic Claxton, the other top free-agent centers, would get this summer.
Tom Thibodeau Takes Isaiah Hartenstein to the Next Level
After initially griping about his role during his first few months in New York, Hartenstein has grown into a complete two-way center.
The German-American center credited Tom Thibodeau for his growth.
“I feel like the first period was an adjusting period,” Hartenstein told Scotto. “If you’re not one of the top two guys on a team, you’ll always have to adjust on a team unless you’re in a perfect situation. I think coming here, I adjusted. Thibs helped me a lot, especially on the defensive end. I was good with the Clippers defensively, but Thibs really helped me with that, and it probably took me to another step.
He’d show me film and talk me through practice on how to prepare. I think that’s what he does well, how he prepares for games. I think a lot of people don’t see that he’s probably in his office from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and probably earlier than that with how he prepares. He also gives little details with any questions I have, especially defensively, to help me out.”
Hartenstein is currently tied with former No.1 pick Deandre Ayton as the 7th-best offensive rebounder this season with 3.2 per game. Robinson leads the league in that category with 5 per game.
Hartenstein ranks sixth in box outs per game with 2.4 and is tied for fourth in box outs per 36 minutes with 3.5, according to NBA.com’s Hustle Leaders. NBA.com’s Hustle Leaders.
Isaiah Hartenstein’s Ability to Spread the Floor
Because of his improvement in defense and his ability to play in different offensive ways, he is the better option as the starting center for the Knicks, particularly with other teams focusing heavily on Jalen Brunson. Jalen Brunson.
In the game against the Kings, Hartenstein became one of Brunson’s options when he was trapped.
The center, who can create space on the court, displayed his passing skills by getting a career-best nine assists along with 7 rebounds, 7 points, and 2 steals in 29 minutes. His presence on the court increased the team's score by 19 points.
“I believe I’m earning more trust from my teammates,” Hartenstein informed Scotto. “I feel like now I’m playing similarly to how I did with the Clippers. We have several team players. Jalen Brunson's effective playmaking this year hasn't received enough attention. The way he has been setting up plays has made my role easier. I think that's been crucial for us, particularly with the amount of pressure he faces and how well he's been reading the game.”
