Knicks Playoff Star Sends Message to Free Agents Isaiah Hartenstein & OG Anunoby

Getty Isaiah Hartenstein #55 and OG Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks.

At the end of the New York Knicks‘ gallant run in the playoffs amid their injury woes, Josh Hart expressed his wish to run it back next season.

Hopefully with a complete and healthy Knicks team. On top of the team’s offseason priorities is to re-sign their unrestricted free agents OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein.

“Those two better come back,” Hart told reporters, per New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, after their Cinderella season ended with a 130-109 loss in Game 7 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs to the Indiana Pacers.

Knicks Can’t Afford to Lose OG Anunoby

Anunoby is expected to decline his $19.9 million player option for a longer and more lucrative contract.

The Knicks did not give up Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett plus a second-round pick in this year’s draft just for a half-season rental of Anunoby.

After courageously playing in the opening five minutes of the ill-fated Game 7, severely limited by his hamstring injury, Anunoby was non-committal on a new deal with the Knicks.

“I haven’t thought about any of that,” Anunoby said, per New York Post. “Game just ended, so I haven’t thought about any of that.”

The Knicks could not afford to lose Anunoby, whose impact when he was healthy gave them a reason to believe they could become one of the elite teams in the Eastern Conference. They were 26-5 with Anunoby in the lineup. Their defense significantly improved with Anunoby, who ranked first by holding opponents to 35.7% shooting as the closest defender, per Second Spectrum, according to ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks.

With five teams, including three playoff contenders Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder, projected to have at least $30 million in cap space this offseason, the Knicks do not have the leverage to lowball Anunoby.

“He will try to break the bank there,” one Eastern Conference GM told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney in March. “Why not? They can’t afford to lose him. Not a max deal or anything, but I think from his side, it is going to look more like $40 million per year, something like four years and $160 million.”

Anunoby could likely become the Knicks’ highest-paid player next season if Jalen Brunson (4-year, $156.5 million extension) and Julius Randle (4-year, $181.5 million extension) would not extend this summer.

Isaiah Hartenstein to Benefit From Shallow Free Agent Class

Hartenstein has proven himself to be a starting-caliber center this season after previous starter Mitchell Robinson missed 50 games in the regular season with a left ankle injury.

The 26-year-old center has outplayed his two-year, $16 million deal he signed with the Knicks in 2022 free agency.

In 64 starts, including the playoffs this season, Hartenstein averaged 9.1 rebounds, 8.6 points, 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks.

Marks also noted that Hartenstein joined Anthony Davis and Victor Wembanyama as the only players with 85 blocks and 85 steals in a season. He became the first player since Moses Malone in 1982 to record 12 offensive rebounds and five assists in a playoff game, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The Knicks have Hartenstein’s early Bird rights, meaning they can go over the salary cap to re-sign him. However, because of this, they are only limited to offering him a maximum of four years, $72.5 million, according to Marks.

On April 5, Hartenstein told Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto that he would return to New York if the Knicks match any offer he would get in free agency.

But with only Nic Claxton and Jonas Valanciunas as the only other top centers available in free agency, the Knicks risked losing Hartenstein if another team threw $20 million per year at him.