Sources: ‘Increasingly unlikely’ Knicks will retain Isaiah Hartenstein

Knicks unrestricted free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein is expected to be a top target of numerous teams when he officially hits the open market in the coming days.

With the size of the offers the big man is expected to receive this offseason, sources have told SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley that it has become increasingly unlikely that New York will be able to retain him.

Begley recently mentioned teams such as Oklahoma City or Orlando as two potential options that have significantly more cap space and could make a higher offer than New York.

The 26-year-old would be a big loss for Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks, but he certainly earned himself a nice payday after his tremendous showing this season.

Sliding into the starting lineup in place of the injured Mitchell Robinson, Hartenstein averaged a strong 7.8 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 64 percent from the field across 75 games.

Begley also recently reported that Robinson was being discussed in potential trades, but if Hartenstein is expected to walk in free agency, that likely will no longer be the case.

The Knicks would then look to add a backup center on the market, and one they are said to have shown interest in is Magic big man Goga Bitadze.