You could say the New York Knicks have taken two steps forward and one step back this preseason.
The Knicks started their offseason off strong by signing Mikal Brides and re-signing OG Anunoby, giving them arguably the best defensive forward duo in the NBA.
However, on the second day of free agency, they lost starting center Isaiah Hartenstein to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The emerging big man signed a three-year, $87 million deal with the Thunder, which is more than the Knicks could offer. It’s a bigger loss than it seems on paper: Hartenstein elevated the Knicks last season with his rim protection, rebounding and ability to make plays out of the pick-and-roll.
The Knicks now enter the season as potential championship contenders, though the roster has a glaring hole at backup center behind Mitchell Robinson.
In ESPN “Hoop Collective” PodcastAnalyst Kevin Pelton raised an interesting debate: If the Knicks had their choice, would they rather have Hartenstein or Julius Randle on this year’s roster?
Almost without hesitation, ESPN NBA reporter Tim Bontemps said Hartenstein.
“I think the Knicks would have preferred to have Hartenstein with the team they have now,” Bontemps said. “They’d basically have the same team they had in the playoffs, except they’d have Mikal Bridges on it. And I think they’d accept that based on how they’re seeded.”
It’s a bold claim, but an interesting one, and perhaps not as far-fetched as it seems with more context.
At first glance, it seems crazy. Randle is a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection (all honors he received with the Knicks). Over the past two seasons, he has averaged 24-9-4 and has shown the ability to carry the Knicks’ offense with his individual shooting and passing.
Randle isn’t a perfect player, though. He’s been criticized for his shot selection and holding onto the ball too long. He’s not a great three-point shooter overall (though he can be hot at times) and his defensive efforts come and go. His playoff numbers have been horrendous in two appearances (2021 and 2023; he missed last year’s postseason with a shoulder injury).
Hartenstein, meanwhile, took over the starting job last season and unexpectedly blossomed into the perfect player. Advanced Metrics rated him as one of the NBA’s best rim protectors. On offense, Hartenstein’s ability to make plays out of the pick-and-roll and finish floaters in the paint proved huge for a shorthanded Knicks team. Hartenstein’s passing and finishing could make opponents pay to double-team Jalen Brunson.
Of course, Hartenstein played a limited role, while Randle played up and down in a starring role. Without Randle, the Knicks sorely missed his scoring presence and ability to open up space for his teammates to hit 3s. When teams loaded up on Brunson, the Knicks’ supporting cast couldn’t always make defenses pay.
Ask Hartenstein to replace Randle offensively and he almost certainly won’t be able to do it.
However, if you look at the Knicks’ 2024-25 roster, trading Randle for Hartenstein could allow the Knicks to bulk up their forward roster, likely playing with a starting five of Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Bridges, Anunoby and Hartenstein. As Bontemps said, he’d be a big part of the Knicks’ playoff rotation in addition to Bridges. That lineup would feature plenty of shooting and defense. Bridges could offset some of Randle’s offensive ability and offer a lot more defense.
On the other hand, the Knicks could utilize Randle in more interesting, small-ball setups this season. If the Knicks lean toward Randle and Anunoby as their “big men” this year, they can surround them with, say, Brunson, DiVincenzo and Bridges. Again, that lineup would be heavy on shooters and perimeter defense. If Hartenstein helped the Knicks’ offense thrive while making plays out of the pick-and-roll, imagine Randle attacking unbalanced defenses. That lineup could be nearly unstoppable offensively.
It’s an interesting debate, though one that obviously has no merit for the Knicks. However, Randle’s imperfect adaptation to this stacked Knicks roster is something to watch closely in the coming months.
