Free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein has agreed to a three-year, $87 million contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, sources told ESPN. He leaves the New York Knicks for first place in the West, eager to add his size, skill and physicality.
Hartenstein, 26, established himself as a quality starting center last season for the Knicks, taking over that role for New York after Mitchell Robinson suffered an ankle injury in December.
Hartenstein became a key part of a magical season for the Knicks, who won 50 games and a playoff series for the second straight season for the first time since 2000. He averaged 7.8 points and 8.3 rebounds, playing in 75 games (49 starts) while shooting 64.4% from the field.
Hartenstein was one of three players last season with at least 85 blocks and 85 steals, and he held opponents to a shooting percentage below 53% at the rim. In addition to elite defense, Hartenstein possesses impressive vision and playmaking ability for a center, although that aspect of his game did not feature prominently in Tom Thibodeau’s offensive system.
Hartenstein opened his career playing two seasons for the Houston Rockets before moving on to the Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers and LA Clippers before signing a two-year deal with New York in the summer of 2022.
Since the Knicks only have early bird rights on Hartenstein, the most New York could offer him was four years and $72.5 million.
The Thunder also agreed to long-term extensions with key reserves Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, league sources confirmed to ESPN.
Sources said Wiggins agreed to a five-year, $47 million deal and Joe agreed to a four-year, $48 million deal.
The Thunder turned down relatively small team options on Joe ($2.1 million) and Wiggins ($2 million) with the intention of locking them up with multi-year deals.
ESPN Stats and Information, Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon contributed to this report.