New York Knicks players are seemingly still not over losing center Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency.
After a breakout season with the Knicks, Hartenstein left in free agency to join the Oklahoma City Thunder on a three-year, $89 million contract.
Hartenstein was coming off a two-year, $16 million deal with the Knicks. Because the Knicks did not have Hartenstein's full Bird Rights, they were limited in how much of a raise they could give him; the most the Knicks could offer Hartenstein was a four-year, $72 million contract. Hartenstein chose the bigger offer, the first big payday of his career.
On the "Roommates" podcast, both Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart bemoaned that quirky NBA rule — that a player's team can be limited in paying that player while an opposing team with cap space is not limited.
"I remember, Josh, we talked about that, about how we had Isaiah, but we could only offer him a certain amount," Brunson said. "But any other team could offer him whatever they wanted."
"It makes no sense," Hart responded.
Dallas Mavericks governor Mark Cuban, who was a guest on the podcast, noted that similar situations frequently happen in the NBA — a player develops with one team, then becomes too expensive for that team to retain.
"It's just the way it works sometimes in the NBA," Cuban said.
"It's the dumbest thing ever," Brunson said.
Hart then joked that "Not everyone is like Jalen" — that is, willing to take a massive discount for the team.
Hartenstein had said he hoped to remain with the Knicks, but the opportunity to make more money and play for a championship contender with the Thunder was too much to turn down. Hartenstein said that Brunson spoke to him before his decision to try to convince him to stay with the Knicks.
Despite an otherwise strong offseason, Hartenstein's departure looms over the Knicks. The 26-year-old big man had proved to be a perfect fit on both ends of the floor in New York. The Knicks still have Mitchell Robinson, Precious Achiuwa, and Jericho Sims as their centers, but there are questions about their ability to stay on the floor and their readiness to play in big playoff games.
