Isaiah Hartenstein matched his career-high 20 rebounds during the New York Knicks‘ sixth win — 106-94 over the Memphis Grizzlies on January 13 — in their last seven games.
It was his second 20th-rebound game during this 6-1 stretch for the fast-rising Knicks. With Hartenstein flourishing as the starting center, questions surrounding Mitchell Robinson‘s future have emerged.
“As we noted on [January 10], some opposing teams doing their homework ahead of the trade deadline wanted to know more about Robinson’s health. Those teams now have some information to work with. They also should be able to evaluate him in the postseason,” SNY’s Ian Begley wrote on January 11.
Begley added the Knicks plan to re-sign Hartenstein and keep their two centers together.
Robinson will enter the third of his $60 million, four-year deal next season.
Hartenstein, who earns $8.1 million this season, acknowledged he’ll get a massive raise when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer if he keeps his remarkable play.
“I know if I keep going I’m gonna get paid, but that’s not the main thing right now,” Hartenstein told The Athletic. “The main thing is, I wanna play good for New York and then everything after will kinda take care of itself.”
If teams throw Robinson-level money on Hartenstein, the Knicks might have to choose between them.
“It’s safe to assume that the Knicks would want to keep the Robinson-Hartenstein duo intact. But if they are talking to teams about a significant trade in the offseason, those teams are almost certainly going to ask about Robinson,” Begley added.
Hartenstein’s durability and more refined offensive skills give him an edge over Robinson.
Knicks ‘Got Rid of Softies’
The Knicks have become a much better team defensively after trading away Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett in two separate moves.
According to Knicks beat reporter, Steve Popper of Newsday, those twin moves allowed the team to solidify their defensive identity under Tom Thibodeau.
“One team source pointed out that in moving out Obi Toppin in the summer, then Barrett and Quickley recently, ‘We got rid of the softies.’ The Knicks roster now consists nearly completely of hard-nosed defenders,’ Newsday’s Steve Popper wrote on January 13.
The Knicks have been the league’s best defensive team by a mile since the Anunoby trade.
Paul Pierce Views Knicks as ECF Contender
Anunoby’s addition gives the Knicks a shot at reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, according to former Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce.
“I’m looking at the East. It’s the Celtics and everybody else a couple of tiers below. Even Milwaukee is a tier below the Celtics. If the Knicks could find a way to avoid the Celtics in the second round [of the playoffs], they can be in the conference finals,” Pierce said on the January 12 episode of the “KG Certified podcast” of Showtime Basketball.
The Knicks have yet to defeat the Celtics this season. But their three losses came before the Anunoby trade. Against the other contenders in the East, they have a 1-3 record against the Bucks and 1-0 against the 76ers.
Last Christmas, the Knicks beat the Bucks for the first time 129-22 behind Jalen Brunson’s 38 points. They were dominant against the 76ers with Anunoby around, routing them on their home floor 128-92 on January 5.
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Some Teams Monitoring Knicks Mitchell Robinson’s Health Ahead of Trade Deadline: Insider