Getty Isaiah Hartenstein of the New York Knicks reacts during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The New York Knicks might be rumored as being in the market for current studs to add to their assortment of talent that just advanced to the second round of the 2023 playoffs, but the Inside The Thunder Staff at Fan Nation seem to believe the club could be interested in a trade package involving a former star guard.
The hypothetical transaction in discussion reads as follows:
New York Knicks receive: Victor Oladipo, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, TyTy Washington, Future Second-Round Pick
Oklahoma City Thunder receive: Isaiah Hartenstein
Citing his age, build, and reasonable contract, the Thunder staff suggest Isaiah Hartenstein could prove to be an optimal backup big man option in Oklahoma City, while the return his services may net could entice the Knicks to make such an exchange, thus having them label the proposal as a win-win for both sides.
“Hartenstein is just 25 years old and would be the perfect backup center in Oklahoma City. He has a sturdy frame, weighing nearly 250 pounds which would be the ideal counterforce for Holmgren. He has the ability to make upwards of $9.2 million in the upcoming season before becoming a free agent next summer,” the Thunder staff wrote.
“Although the Knicks aren’t actively shopping him on the market, they could actually get a decent return from the Thunder for him. There will be several players cut from the current OKC roster that will have many suitors on the free agent market following. Instead of cutting them outright, perhaps Oklahoma City could extract value and allow New York to take control of these assets.”
They would continue on to argue that though taking on the fallen two-time All-Star, Victor Oladipo comes with its risks (has played in just 138 out of a potential total of 390 regular season games since 2018-19 due to injury and is currently rehabbing a torn patellar tendon), the Knicks would be adding more draft capital to their impressive collection in the exchange and, in theory, could wind up gaining some quality two-way contributions from the veteran assuming he makes a full recovery.
However, as previously noted, New York does not seem to currently be shopping the likes of Hartenstein, and, considering the always-present health concerns of Mitchell Robinson, it may be an unnecessary risk to part ways with the soon-to-be sixth-year veteran heading into what is hoped to be a highly successful 2023-24 campaign.
Jericho Sims ‘Has Yet to Pave His Path’ With Knicks
Aside from Mitchell Robinson’s injury risks, another argument for why the Knicks must strongly consider holding onto the likes of Isaiah Hartenstein is the lackluster depth at the club’s pivot position.
Outside of these aforementioned talents, the only other noteworthy option Tom Thibodeau has and will likely continue to look to for spot minutes down low is third-year pro, Jericho Sims, who, though has shown flashes of becoming a quality role player in the association, is someone Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley recently deemed as someone who “has yet to pave his path.”
“Often barricaded behind Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein, Sims has yet to pave his path to consistent playing time. Still, it feels like his NBA identity is already established. The bouncy big man is an active rim-runner who can rebound, protect the paint and finish above the rim,” Buckley wrote.
JERICHO SIMS WITH THE THROW DOWN 💥
Despite the praise for his enviable athleticism and rebounding abilities given by Buckley, it’s still likely an undesirable scenario for Sims to serve as a primary backup for the contention-hopeful Knicks, at least coming into the 2023-24 season considering his inexperience.
For his career, Jericho Sims boasts averages of 2.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and half a block in 14.7 minutes per game.
Julius Randle Credits Jalen Brunson for 2022-23 Production
While the center position may be a bit of a quagmire at this point in time, the four spot for the Knicks seems to be in good shape due to the presence of starter, Julius Randle.
Coming off his second All-NBA campaign in three seasons, the 28-year-old is currently viewed as one of the best frontcourt talents in the association and, during a recent episode of HBO’s The Shop: Uninterrupted, he credited Jalen Brunson for his career-best season in 2022-23.
“One of the biggest people that honestly pushed me was Jalen, my teammate, because I saw how he worked,” Randle said. “And I’m a worker. And I saw how diligent he was, his focus level to it. So JB’s really pushed me.”
Jalen Brunson was asked about Julius Randle’s recent comments about how Brunson pushed him to be better:
“I may have helped a little bit, but that’s really all him. He’s a worker, he comes in every day and does what he has to do.”
Of course, in Brunson-esque fashion, upon hearing about the praise by his co-star, he pushed back from taking a significant portion of the credit for Randle’s recent season, as he stated at Team USA training camp: “I may have helped a little bit, but that’s really all him.”
In 77 games played last season, the power forward posted sensational averages of 25.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 45.9 percent from the field.