Isaiah Hartenstein leaves Knicks, signs 3-year, $87 million deal with OKC Thunder

He averaged 8.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, three assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in the aftermath of Robinson’s Dec. 8 injury.

Only one player averaged as many steals and blocks over the course of the entire 2023-24 NBA season: Toronto Raptors franchise cornerstone Scottie Barnes.

In fact, only 12 players — Robinson, Hartenstein and Barnes included — averaged at least one steal and one block per game last season: Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Jaren Jackson Jr., Victor Wembanyama, Derrick White, Jusuf Nurkic, Alex Caruso and Robert Williams III.

Hartenstein positioned himself as a premier player at the center spot last season with the Knicks.

Now, like many of his counterparts, he will be paid like one.

This loss is brutal for the Knicks, who believed Robinson and Hartenstein gave them the best one-two punch at the center spot in all of basketball.

The Knicks must now lean heavily on Robinson to shoulder the load at the five.

They have the $5.2 million tax-payer’s mid-level exception at their disposal to sign help at the center position.

The Knicks can also exceed the salary cap to re-sign Precious Achiuwa. However, they opted against tendering him a qualifying offer by his deadline, thus declining his status as a restricted free agent.

Achiuwa is free to sign with any team interested, but the Knicks can re-sign him with as much space as they have underneath the second apron, provided they create additional outgoing salary to satisfy the Mikal Bridges trade.

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