The majority of people have high expectations for NBA free agency and make too many snap decisions. Given the national media’s penchant for easily digestible sound bites, these hasty decisions are obviously exaggerated. The effects of each deal and draft choice actually take years to materialize. Many also affect other potential free agents or prospects in a “butterfly” fashion.
For any team, including the New York Knicks, the aforementioned evaluation is accurate. In addition to drafting a few players, New York lost main center Isaiah Hartenstein to the Oklahoma City Thunder, acquired emerging standout Mikal Bridges through trade, and re-signed versatile OG Anunoby. Even if the Knicks’ offseason was fantastic, the front office still committed one very important error. Quite honestly, it was preventable. The Knicks’ biggest error ultimately came from their failure to make sure that they had a reliable backup center on their roster.
Isaiah Hartenstein Mistakes by Leon Rose
As the Knicks’ chief executive, Leon Rose has a proven track record of making thoughtful acquisitions and decisions. He traded Josh Hart and draft capital for Cam Reddish, patiently waited to sign Jalen Brunson to what now appears to be a great deal in 2022, then moved Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett for Anunoby shortly before Quickley and Barrett’s contracts were to be extended. And so forth. However, experienced CEOs make errors. In light of this, it appeared as though the Knicks’ center rotation was among the best in the league going into 2024–25.
Mitchell Robinson and Hartenstein were a wonderful match. The contract between Hartenstein and the parties was the only issue. Rose made a mistake in 2022 when he agreed to a two-year contract with Hartenstein. Thus, New York was not the owner of his entire bird rights. The Knicks were therefore limited in what they could give. Regretfully, the Thunder’s offer outpaced it by a significant margin.
In fairness, nobody anticipated Hartenstein’s development as it occurred. However, it appeared as though Rose was acting as though Hartenstein would re-sign with the Knicks as recently as a few weeks ago. The writing was clearly on the wall, regardless of Hartenstein’s stated desires. Before free agency, rumors about Oklahoma City were well-established.
Moreover, he was unsuccessful in free agency.
Despite the draft having passed, there was still unclaimed free agency to fill the backup center position. And a lot of supporters thought it should come first. Unfortunately, though, no backup centers appeared in New York during the first few days of free agency. The Knicks witnessed Cody Zeller sign with the Atlanta Hawks, Goga Bitadze and Moritz Wagner re-sign with the Orlando Magic, Jonas Valanciunas sign with the Washington Wizards, and Andre Drummond sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.
JaVale McGee, Omer Yurtseven, Bizmack Biyomboo, Chimezie Mets, and Tristan Thompson are still available. None, however, will have Hartenstein’s effect. To be honest, though, the five guys listed above most likely won’t either. The excellent news is now available. Before it causes any harm, this error can still be fixed. Everything is forgiven as long as the Knicks have a reliable backup center available for opening night. It’s also crucial to keep in mind that, unlike in the past, the Knicks might not require as strong of a backup center in the upcoming campaign. Why? since they’ve covered other needs for the roster. In particular, Anunoby and their fantasy acquisition Mikal Bridges will work together to further restrict easy baskets from the other team’s wings. It is difficult to gauge the effect of it without witnessing it in action.
