The perfect contract the Knicks must offer Isaiah Hartenstein

06/30/2024 11:14 PM

Isaiah Hartenstein played a pivotal role for the New York Knicks during the 2023-24 season, stepping up when Mitchell Robinson went down with an injury and holding down the starting center role as the team surged into the postseason and fought a grueling seven-game series with the Indiana Pacers.

Yet, Hartenstein is a free agent and he might consider leaving the Big Apple. New York is limited in how much they can offer the player affectionately known as I-Hart, and other teams can outbid them this summer.

With that said, let's take a closer look at what New York can offer, what a fair deal for Hartenstein could look like, and one route that keeps him in New York City.

A former Bulls star could be one comp for Hartenstein

A former star center for Tom Thibodeau back in his days with the Chicago Bulls who also briefly played for Thibs with the Knicks could be a potential comparison for Hartenstein and his agent as they negotiate his next deal. That player would be Joakim Noah, Chicago's former superstar defender who was also known for his famous "tornado" free throw form.

Noah might not be a perfect comp for I-Hart as the two players have slightly different styles of play, but they are very similar in overall ability with slightly different strengths and weaknesses. The Knicks center is an elite defender, but Noah was an all-time great. With that being said, New York's big man is a better offensive player than Noah could ever dream of being.

The former Bulls star was essentially useless if he was more than 10 feet away from the basket, and even in the paint, he had hilariously bad touch. It was a common scene inside of the United Center back in those days to see Noah brick layoffs or other give-me bunnies in or near the restricted area.

Hartenstein, on the other hand, is a well-above-average offensive player who is polished all around and beats opponents in a variety of ways. He has elite touch around the rim to convert his looks within three to five feet. His 60% shooting in the restricted area is very good, especially for somebody who fights through defenders for tough finishes as frequently as Hartenstein does.

Noah is probably a slightly better overall player with all things considered, but the two are fairly close. We'll give the former Chicago star a slight edge in defense, but Hartenstein is no slouch at that end and is a better offensive player, so the comparison is reasonable.

Will Hartenstein take a 1+1 deal?

The Knicks could offer Hartenstein a 1+1 contract, which is essentially a one-year deal where the second year is a player option. If Hartenstein struggled or didn't want to test the market for whatever reason, he could always choose to opt in. Otherwise, the Knicks big man would opt out of his contract next offseason, declining the player option and becoming a free agent. At this point, New York would own his full bird rights.

This means that the front office would be able to offer him the full max contract. When looking at a potential deal, it would be wise to look at what Noah received. When he was at the peak of his powers with the Bulls, Chicago's front office signed him to a deal worth approximately 20% of the salary cap. Based on the 2024-25 salary cap, this would put Hartenstein's fair market value at approximately $28.1 million.

The main reason that Hartenstein might not consider a deal structured with an opt-out next year is because he has made approximately $23 million in his entire career. That's certainly enough money for him to live comfortably for the rest of his life, but it's going to be incredibly difficult to pass up the opportunity to create real generational wealth for his kids, grandkids and even great-grandkids.

Yet, he loves it in New York City and if he is comfortable waiting another year so that he can stay long-term with the team that he found a home playing for, then a 1+1 deal structured so that Hartenstein can sign a max or new max deal with the Knicks next summer makes the most sense for both sides.

New York could attempt to clear cap space for I-Hart

If he refuses to sign such a deal, the team could always attempt to create cap space by trading currently rostered players and attaching draft compensation to entice another team to take on the contracts. New York should consider doing this if necessary, but it shouldn't be a route that they go unless absolutely necessary. That's because trading currently rostered players to clear cap space would make the team worse in the short run. This young core group of players also grew up in the NBA while playing alongside each other, and there might be a sense of cohesion and a desire to stick together.

If New York does need to go this route, one obvious candidate to be traded is Shake Milton. Moving his contract could create $5 million in cap space, allowing New York to offer Hartenstein approximately $21 million per year. That would allow New York to make a respectable counteroffer to any deals from other teams the big man might be considering.

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