This season, center Isaiah Hartenstein of the New York Knicks has been crucial, particularly in the wake of starting player Mitchell Robinson’s ankle injury, which has sidelined him indefinitely.
In more than 25 minutes per game, Hartenstein, 25, is grabbing 8.5 rebounds, which is a career high. The showcase couldn’t have come at a better time: Hartenstein’s two-year contract, which he signed in the summer of 2022, ends after this season, placing him back on the centers’ market. He has started 27 games while the Knicks battle through some long-term injuries.
Looking ahead, Hartenstein was ranked 20th out of the top 25 free agents by Bleacher Report, which also includes the former Los Angeles Clipper.
“The 2024 free-agent class has a shortage of big men, and Hartenstein is a young, serviceable role player who rebounds and finishes well around the basket (62.1 percent from the field this season),” Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report writes. “Hartenstein’s future in New York may depend on Mitchell Robinson’s health (ankle), but he seems like a keeper if the Knicks can fit him into their long-term budget.”
If the Knicks have learned anything this season, it’s the value of depth. That mindset might shift if New York embarks on a star-hunting expedition this summer, but having solid players off the bench is essential to assembling a successful team.
Hartenstein might be putting himself out there for a raise this summer, though, and that might be beyond New York’s means. Hartenstein might accept a local discount, but he could be worth even more after a strong outcome.
Hartenstein, who has missed four of the last seven games due to a strained Achilles, is no stranger to the Knicks’ injury list this season. If he can play in the team’s Thursday night game at Madison Square Garden against the Golden State Warriors (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT), only time will tell.
