The Oklahoma City Thunder are reportedly viewed as the “biggest threat” to acquire New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency this offseason. New York Post Stephen Bondy.
“Oklahoma City, which led the Western Conference with 57 wins during the regular season, could make a stronger offer for Hartenstein than the Knicks, who are up against the cap but could use their Early Bird rights to offer a starting salary of around $17 million,” Stephens wrote.
Hartenstein, who spent the past two seasons with the Knicks, averaged 7.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game this season.
Hartenstein proved to be a valuable asset for the Knicks after filling in for an injured Mitchell Robinson during the postseason, and he could be the spark for a bidding war after having the best season of his career this offseason.
The Thunder will be looking to build on a strong season after advancing past the first round for the first time since 2016. Oklahoma City fell just short of a berth in the conference finals but appears to be emerging as a favorite to win the West, and Hartenstein's addition could help speed up that process.
Meanwhile, the Knicks will likely try to keep Hartenstein around to help assemble a team that is one game away from reaching the conference finals, and New York played a seven-game series against the Indiana Pacers despite dealing with a variety of injuries, leaving the door to an NBA Finals berth open for a young team.
Paying the bill to keep Hartenstein in New York could become a priority to keep that chance alive next season.
But the Thunder or Knicks may be looking to make a big move for Hartenstein, with the center reportedly receiving offers as high as $100 million this offseason.
