Isaiah Hartenstein wasn’t exactly the biggest name on the free agent market this year, but after a solid season for the Los Angeles Clippers, he was expected to pique the interest of teams that had a hole in their frontcourt. That ended up being the case, and shortly after players could agree to deals with teams, Hartenstein found himself a landing spot.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Hartenstein is going from one coast to the other and joining the New York Knicks. Hartenstein will receive a 2-year deal that will pay him $16 million.
Free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein has agreed to a two-year, $16 million-plus deal with the New York Knicks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Fully guaranteed deal for Hartenstein.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022
It’s an interesting move for the Knicks, as their starting center, Mitchell Robinson, is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and there is no word on how this signing might impact Robinson’s future with the franchise. Hartenstein has traveled a rather unique path to the league, as he spent the start of his professional career abroad before spending time with the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Last offseason, Hartenstein joined the Clippers and turned into a reliable member of their frontcourt rotation. He appeared in 68 games, coming off the bench in all of them, and averaged 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.1 blocks in 17.9 minutes per game, all of which were career highs. He connected on 62.6 percent of his field goal attempts and 46.7 percent of his threes.