In this edition of NBA rumors and news, I look at upcoming decisions facing three Eastern Conference teams.
New York Knicks May Not Be Able To Afford Isaiah Hartenstein This Offseason
The New York Knicks have some critical decisions to make this offseason. The Knicks will have to decide whether to go all out for the elusive star in a trade, make minor adjustments to their roster, and decide which of their free agents to re-sign.
One of the players that the Knicks will have to make a decision about is Isaiah Hartenstein. Hartenstein will be an unrestricted free agent and has been playing well since seeing his role increase following Mitchell Robinson’s season-ending injury on Dec. 8. Hartenstein has started the previous nine games.
While Hartenstein had seen a significant bump in playtime since Robinson left the Dec. 8 game against Boston early, he has taken his game to a new level over the last week. Hartenstein finished Saturday’s game against the Wizards with eight points, 19 rebounds, two blocks, and four steals. It marked Hartenstein’s second game this week of 19+ rebounds, and in the fifth straight contest, he recorded at least four steals/blocks.
“I’m impressed with how he’s protecting the rim, to be honest,” Julius Randle told Fred Katz of The Athletic on Wednesday. “We’re used to Mitch doing that, covering up for our mistakes when we get beat off the dribble. But he’s a monster doing that… He’s been amazing.”
Hartenstein Has Taken His Game To A New Level
If Hartenstein continues to play close to this level for the rest of the year, New York will have a tough decision to make.
In the nine games since being inserted into the starting five, Hartenstein has led the Knicks in rebounding three times and averages a team-best 10.7 boards. Hartenstein has posted a team-high 1.9 steals and 1.5 blocks while posting a +7.2 plus/minus rating, second to only Anunoby during this stretch. He also has contributes 8.7 points on 62.7% shooting and 3.0 assists in nearly 35 minutes as a starter.
“He’s been playing phenomenal,” Jalen Brunson added when talking about Hartenstein. “He has been able to do that. Obviously, with Mitch being out, his minutes increase and all that stuff, but he’s been great. … We all knew that’s what he’s capable of.”
Hartenstein will hit the open market for the fourth time in his career. He signed a two-year, $16 million with the Knicks the last time. The big man is currently making $9.2 million and will likely get a hefty raise this offseason.
Therein lies the problem for New York.
New York has 10 players under contract for next year, with their salaries totaling $149.2 million. That would put the Knicks $22.7 million below the NBA tax threshold. Anunoby is also due for a massive contract after he declines his $19.9 million player option.
However, Evan Fournier, who has a $19 million club option, certainly won’t be in the Big Apple next year if he remains with the team the rest of the season. Jericho Sims only has a partial guarantee for next season but will likely be kept around while the Knicks go “big-name” hunting this summer.
Meanwhile, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn are slated to be restricted free agents.
What Should The Knicks Should Do?
I am sure that the Knicks would like to re-sign Hartenstein this offseason. But with rumors of the Knicks wanting to bring in another “star” this summer to go alongside Anunoby and Brunson, it may not be feasible for the Knicks to do so.
New York does own Hartenstein’s Early Bird rights. Katz said the NBA midlevel exception projects to be approximately $56 million over four years, starting in 2024-25. However, Katz projects that Hartenstein could command around $15 million if he continues to play the way he is.
The Knicks are believed to have the assets, players, and draft capital to secure their long-wanted second star. If the Knicks are successful in this, they may decide that Achiuwa, who will undoubtedly be cheaper, is the better option.
“Right now, I’m a New York Knick,” Hartenstein said. “That’s the biggest thing. I feel like, yeah, sometimes you have that in the back of your mind. That’s normal. At the end of the day, I wanna be in New York, but it’s a business… I keep going I’m gonna get paid, but that’s not the main thing right now. The main thing is, I wanna play good for New York, and everything after will kinda take care of itself.”
Should The Brooklyn Nets Re-Sign Nic Claxton?
Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton is expected to be one of the hottest free-agent names this summer as he is ranked among the top 12 free agents, according to several pundits.
Claxton is a highly athletic big man with a career year last season. The 24-year-old has solidified himself as one of the best young centers in the game this year. As a result, he is expected to be one of the most sought-after players on the open market this year. HoopsHype has Claxton ranked No. 12 on their top-ranked 2024 free agents list. Meanwhile, Bleacher Report has him at No. 11, and NBA.com has him seventh.
Claxton has only played more than 72 games once in his career and has already missed 10 games this season. Claxton is considered one of the game’s preeminent rim protectors and defenders.
While limited offensively, Claxton is a fantastic finisher around the rim. Claxton averages 12.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in 27 appearances. He is shooting 64% from the field and has posted 12 double-doubles, including three straight.
Brooklyn is only 11-16 with Claxton in the lineup this year. Not only is Claxton injury-prone, but the Nets are -4.7 in point differential with him on the court. Which is the worst plus/minus on the team among players who have played at least 10 games.
Claxton is expected to have plenty of suitors and command between $20-25 million on the open market.
Granted, Brooklyn projects to have $20.4 million in cap space this summer. The Nets also hold Claxton’s Bird rights, meaning they can pay him more than any other team in the league. So, should the Nets put faith in the youngster and invest?
Lucas Kaplan of Nets Daily believes so.
“The player [Claxton] I outlined above is worth 10-to-15% of the salary cap, where $20-25 million will get you over the next half-decade. Claxton’s season has been slightly underwhelming to this point, but he’s one of the least culpable Nets in their subpar record.”
“Ultimately, I predict Marks and the Nets hold onto Clax through the deadline, and thus, pony up the requisite cash this offseason. Signing outstanding players at positions of need to long-term deals before a salary cap spike is good practice. And hey, you can always make trades at a later date.’
Is Wendell Carter Jr. On Trade Market?
The Orlando Magic (21-15) are on-pace to produce their most wins since 2010-11. Apparently, that doesn’t mean the Magic will not make a significant move before the NBA’s trade deadline.
In his January 5 substack, NBA Insider Marc Stein reported that rival executives believe Magic may move forward Wendell Carter Jr. before the Feb.8th deadline.
While it was thought that Orlando could make a jump this year, the Magic have exceeded expectations thus far. The Magic, who haven’t made the playoffs in three years, sit in place in the Eastern Conference.
Stein pointed out that the Magic have a deep frontcourt, and Carter has only played in 13 games due to hand and knee injuries. Stein also mentioned that Carter has been coming off the bench lately. Stein’s final point it is believed that the Magic may move Carter was that they will need to re-sign Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero to rookie scale extensions.
All the points made in Stein’s article made were spot on. However, if Orlando intends to trade Carter, those arguments are more prevalent to moving Carter after the season than during the season.
Should The Magic Trade Carter Jr.?
Yes, Orlando is currently exceeding expectations, and they are in a solid position to end their playoff drought. However, the Eastern Conference is deep, with eight teams already garnering 20 victories.
So, with the Magic on the verge of possibly ending their drought, they must keep as much talent as possible. After getting eight games above .500 on Dec. 11, the Magic struggled. The Magic ended a three-game losing streak with a 122-120 victory on Friday over Denver and are 4-8 over their last 12.
Make no mistake, Carter is supremely gifted, though injury-prone.
Carter has been one of the Magic’s best players the last two years, averaging a career-high 15 points in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He set a career high with 10.7 rebounds a game in 2021-22 and grabbed 8.7 boards. Granted, the 24-year-old has struggled in the early going due to injuries and poor shooting. Still, he averages 8.7 points and 6.4 rebounds, which is second on the team, in 24.4 minutes.
Carter has never been overly efficient offensive. While shooting 42.5% from the field is unacceptable, his shooting numbers will improve once he finds consistency.
Carter does provide some things that the Magic’s other frontcourt players don’t. Carter is a more complete offensive player than Goga Bitadze, Chuma Okele, and Jonathan Issac. He is also a better 3-point shooter, an area he has improved in the last three seasons, than Bitadze, Moritz Wagner, and Isaac. Carter is averaging one trey a game at a career-best 40.6% from beyond the arc this season.
Carter is not a great team defender, although defense is a massive problem for the Magic. But he is a physical presence in the low post. Isaac and Bitadze thrive on that end, while Moe Wagner is also indifferent defensively.
Chris Paul Could Be Traded
Golden State Warriors backup point guard Chris Paul is expected to be out four to six weeks after he undergoes surgery for a fractured left hand. Paul suffered the injury while battling the Pistons’ Jaden Ivey for a rebound in the third quarter of Golden State’s win over Detroit on Friday. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, it will be the 11th hand surgery of Paul’s career.
Despite the injury and Paul’s struggles this year, there is a chance that the 12-time all-start won’t be with the Warriors when he returns. Recent rumors have been that the Dubs will try to unload Paul and his $30 million salary.
While there isn’t expected to be a massive market for Paul. The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II doesn’t believe his injury will not affect his trade value.
“The injury might keep him out past the Feb. 8 trade deadline. But it doesn’t figure to impact Paul’s value. The likelihood is that the teams who’d want him will be interested in his expiring contract, which can be used to cut future salary. The teams who could use Paul’s play don’t have the pieces to swing a deal for his contract.”
Per Wojnarowski’s timeline, if Paul is out for only four weeks, it would mean he returns in early February before the Feb. 8 trade deadline. But if his return is closer to the six-week time frame, Paul would return during or right before the all-star break.
It will be interesting to see what Golden State ultimately does with Paul. It will eventually depend on whether the Warriors finally get hot or stay stagnant. If the Warriors believe they legitimately have a chance to make a serious playoff run, they will trade Paul only if it improves their team. Otherwise, expect him to finish the season in the Bay Area.
However, I could see the Warriors moving Jonathan Kuminga or Wiggins.
