OKC Thunder The Favorites to Land New York Knicks Center Isaiah Hartenstein

The Oklahoma City Thunder will be sprinkled into every NBA rumor this offseason, the current Vegas odds pegs the Thunder as favorites to land Isaiah Hartenstein.

May 19, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) reacts during the third quarter of game seven of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder are primed to make a summertime splash with a mountain of draft picks and cap space the team has to spend in some way, it is a recipe for the Bricktown boys to be thrown into every rumor and linked to every player as all but four NBA fanbases wait for the offseason to tip-off.

One of the more interesting options on the free agent market is New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein. Coming off a two-year $16 million contract, the 26-year-old proved this season he could add value to a team's front court as a high-end rotational piece and spot-starter in case of injuries.

While Hartenstein can not space the floor, he does shoot 70 percent at the cup and clean the glass while also providing mid-range pop shooting 54 percent in that area mainly coming from post-ups. Couple that with his put-backs, cutting ability and potential pick-and-roll partnership with the Thunder's scoring threats and it is easy to see the vision of him fitting in Bricktown.

The Thunder's front-court depth concerns have led to Oklahoma City being Hartenstein's top landing according to Bet Online with +300 odds. While there has been no official scuttlebutt tying the Knicks big man to the Thunder, the fit on paper plus expendable money is enough to make this leap.

This season for the New York Knicks, Hartenstein averaged 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. The big man shot 64 percent from the floor in 75 contests.

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