Despite losing Isaiah Hartenstein, Knicks rank among early NBA offseason winners

The Knicks could only offer Hartenstein a max of four years, $72.5 million to stay in New York, so OKC offered more money over fewer years: a three-year deal worth $87 million at an average annual value of $29 million.

Hartenstein left one championship contender for another and fortifies Oklahoma City’s front court, joining Rookie of the Year runner-up Chet Holmgren and MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Thunder also traded Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso, a steal given Caruso’s status as a championship-caliber role player known for his defensive edge and three-point shooting.

After securing the West’s No. 1 seed and losing to the No. 5 Mavericks in the second round, the Thunder got better and now have another chance to make a run at emerging as Western Conference champions next season.

Orlando Magic

Cue the goofy Orlando Magic TikTok theme song: This team is officially a piece away.

The Magic poached Kentavious Caldwell-Pope from the 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets, landing a starting 3-and-D wing on a three-year, $66 million deal.

Pope is a two-time NBA champion who also won in the Orlando bubble with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. He is a low-maintenance floor spacer who can guard his yard, and he joins a team loaded with long, athletic defenders ranking third in defensive rating behind only the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics during the regular season.

And now, the Magic need a point guard. The Magic have split duties between Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony, but maybe a deal for C.J. McCollum helps push Orlando over the edge.

This is Paolo Banchero’s team after all, and if the Magic can secure a star-level floor general, it just might be enough to push them into the second round next season.

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