The Knicks missed out on Isaiah Hartenstein. The big man signed with the OKC Thunder on Monday (July 1st) morning, getting a monumental 3-year $87 million deal. There were rumors that Hartenstein was willing to take a little bit less to come back to the Garden, but this deal puts those rumors to sleep.
The Mikal Bridges trade hard-capped the Knicks at the 1st apron. According to the new CBA signed last summer, teams cannot spend more than the 1st apron ($178.132 million) if they are involved in a deal where they receive more money than they send out. When the Knicks traded with the Nets, they received Bridges ($23.3 million) while sending out Bojan Bogdanovic ($19.032 million). The maximum offer the Knicks could give him was 4 years and $72.5 million. The Knicks could have opened up some more cap space to resign Hartenstein if they had traded Mitchell Robinson away, but it was clear that he wanted to get paid.
Hartenstein proved to be invaluable for the Knicks. He was a beast on the offensive glass and was an underrated playmaker who could set his teammates up. He was also healthy throughout the season and is an asset that will be hard to replace. With Hartenstein gone, what free agents should the Knicks target now?
Knicks Free Agency Options After Losing Isaiah Hartenstein
Goga Bitadze
This name should be the Knicks’ top priority. Goga Bitadze averages 2.7 blocks per 36 minutes and can rebound with the best. In the 15.4 minutes per game he played for the Magic, Bitadze averaged 1.8 offensive boards, adding another strong man who will fit into the Knicks scheme. Bitadze can also get out in the perimeter and defend and allowed opponents to shoot just 35.8% from 3 this season. Bitadze is an additional boost for the Knicks if/when Mitchell Robinson gets injured for long stretches. He is a better free-throw shooter than Robinson, giving the Knicks a center who can play clutch minutes.
Precious Achiuwa
Precious Achiuwa is an unrestricted free agent, and the Knicks should try to bring him back. He averaged 24.2 minutes in his time with the Knicks and proved his defensive versatility despite being undersized. Achiuwa averaged 1.1 blocks per game, and was a menace on the offensive glass, averaging 2.9 offensive boards per game. Achiuwa is an offensive downgrade from Hartenstein and is shockingly inefficient for a center. Last season he shot just 62.7% at the rim, a mark in the 53rd percentile across the league and below average for a center. But, he is an ok free-throw shooter and can hold his own against the bigger centers in this league, as evidenced by the first-round matchup against the Sixers.
Drew Eubanks
This is a shockingly bare free-agent market for centers, and with most of the top options gone, the Knicks are now searching the depths. But they don’t need a starter. They need a good bench center who can come in and give them 20ish minutes per game, and fill in when Robinson is out. Drew Eubanks can fit that mold. Eubanks is a good shot-blocker and rim defender, allowing opponents to shoot just 56.7% within 6 feet of the rim. He was good on the offensive glass, and is a good free throw shooter, opening up clutch minutes. Eubanks isn’t a great perimeter defender and can be beaten on switches, but he can hold his own against players driving to the rim.
The Last Word
This is a lackluster free-agent class for centers. The Knicks’ best options within their price range are listed above, but they could improve their team by making a trade to get one. Nonetheless, whatever they want to do must be done quickly. Teams are snatching up centers, and the Knicks must be proactive to get one.
