The New York Knicks have arguably taken two steps forward and one step backward this offseason.
The Knicks started their offseason with a bang by trading for Mikal Brides and re-signing OG Anunoby, giving them arguably the NBA's best defensive wing tandem.
However, on Day 2 of free agency, they lost starting center Isaiah Hartenstein to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The breakout big man signed a three-year, $87 million contract with the Thunder, which is more than what the Knicks were allowed to offer. It's a bigger loss than it may seem on paper: Hartenstein elevated the Knicks last season with his rim protection, rebounding, and ability to make plays out of the pick-and-roll.
The Knicks now enter the season as potential championship contenders, though the roster has a clear hole at backup center behind Mitchell Robinson.
On ESPN's "Hoop Collective" podcast, analyst Kevin Pelton raised an interesting debate: if the Knicks could choose, would they rather have Hartenstein or Julius Randle on this year's roster?
Almost without hesitation, ESPN's NBA reporter Tim Bontemps said Hartenstein.
"Hartenstein, for sure, I think the Knicks would rather have, with the team they have now," Bontemps said. "They would essentially have the team they had in the playoffs, except you'd have Mikal Bridges on it. And I think they would take that based on how they're spread out."
It's a bold, but interesting claim and maybe not as crazy as it sounds with more context.
On the surface, it seems crazy. Randle is a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection (all accolades he's had with the Knicks). Over the past two seasons, he's averaged 24-9-4 and shown the ability to carry the Knicks offense with his individual shot-making and passing.
However, Randle is not a perfect player. He's been criticized for his shot selection and for holding the ball too long. He's not a great three-point shooter on the whole (though he can get hot for stretches), and his defensive efforts comes and goes. His playoff numbers have been horrendous in two appearances (2021 and 2023; he missed last year's postseason with a shoulder injury).
Hartenstein, meanwhile, filled in as a starter last season and unexpectedly became a perfect fit. Advanced metrics graded him as one of the NBA's best rim protectors. On offense, Hartenstein's ability to make plays out of the pick-and-roll and finish floaters in the paint proved huge for a short-handed Knicks team. Hartenstein's passing and finishing could make opponents pay for doubling Jalen Brunson.
Of course, Hartenstein starred in a limited role, while Randle has played up and down in a starring role. With Randle out, the Knicks badly missed his scoring presence and ability to open up three-pointers for his teammates. When teams did load up on Brunson, the Knicks' supporting cast couldn't always make defenses pay.
Ask Hartenstein to fill Randle's shoes offensively, and he almost certainly couldn't.
However, looking at the Knicks' 2024-25 squad, swapping Randle with Hartenstein could allow the Knicks to load up on wings, likely playing a starting five of Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Bridges, Anunoby, and Hartenstein. As Bontemps said, it would be much of the Knicks' playoff rotation, plus Bridges. That lineup would feature tons of shooting and defense. Bridges would be able to pick up some offensive slack from Randle while offering plenty more defense.
Then again, the Knicks might able to deploy Randle in more interesting, small-ball configurations this season. If the Knicks lean into Randle and Anunoby as their "big men" this year, they can surround them with, say, Brunson, DiVincenzo, and Bridges. Once again, that lineup would have plenty of shooting and perimeter defense. If Hartenstein helped the Knicks' offense thrive while making plays out of the pick-and-roll, imagine Randle attacking unbalanced defenses. That lineup could be close to unstoppable offensively.
It's an interesting debate, though one that obviously has no merit for the Knicks. However, Randle's imperfect fit on this loaded Knicks squad is one that bears watching in the coming months.
