ProFitX Trade Tracker: Fred VanVleet
ProFitX 2022 NBA Contract Report: Isaiah Hartenstein
Nick Crain
11/10/22
During the offseason, Isaiah Hartenstein signed a new two-year, $16 million contract with the New York Knicks. In a league built on size and shooting, Hartenstein brings both to the table. The Knicks are looking to get back to the postseason, and so far this season the 7-footer has been a key piece to the early success. At this moment, the Athledex platform projects Hartenstein’s Real-Time Contract Value to be $15.93 million, while he’s making $7.8 million this season. Why this is a good deal for New York? Hartenstein is a big that brings a ton of energy and can be highly productive without needing to take shots on volume.
Rebounding Efficiency
Most NBA centers are great at crashing the glass, hence why they’re playing at this level. Not only is Hartenstein a good rebounder, but he’s also an efficient one. Hartenstein is averaging nearly ten boards per contest this season, and is doing that off the bench in just over 25 minutes of action. His rebound rate of 16.9% is the best on the Knicks and one of the highest in the entire league among backup bigs.
Developing 3-Point Shot
During his first three NBA seasons, Hartenstein attempted just 17 shots from beyond the arc. As he’s continued to emerge as a legitimate contributor, the 7-footer has adapted to the modern style of play and has started developing his 3-point shot. Last season alone, Hartenstein shot 30 times from deep and converted on 46.7% of them. While that still doesn’t make him a volume shooter from beyond the arc, it shows his willingness to space the floor and requires his defender to stay honest. As he continues to emerge as a 3-point shooter, his value will only rise.
Potential Closer
For many teams, centers aren’t part of closing lineups. This is typically due to their inability to knock down three throws and space the floor. Hartenstein is able to do both of these things, as he is improving on both fronts. This season, he’s converted on 75% of his free throw attempts. This is up quite a bit from an efficiency standpoint relative to last season, when he shot 68.9% from the line. If he can prove to be reliable in this department, he can be a closer in certain matchups.
Steady Improvement
Any time a team signs a player to a new contract, the hope is that the player improves over the life of the deal. This is especially important considering most players are paid based on what the team thinks they can become, not for what type of contributor they currently are. Over the last two seasons, Hartenstein has quickly improved as an NBA talent. He’s already outperforming his contract based on our models, but at the rate he’s going he will only continue to further exceed expectations.