How Isaiah Hartenstein's free agency and the Mikal Bridges trade have become an intertwined dilemma for the Knicks

How Isaiah Hartenstein's free agency and the Mikal Bridges trade have become an intertwined dilemma for the Knicks

The New York Knicks look likely to lose a key player of last season's rotation, one way or another.

Just three days away from the start of NBA free agency, the Knicks face a dilemma in trying to re-sign starting center Isaiah Hartenstein.

The Knicks were already limited to offering Hartenstein a maximum contract of four years, $72.5 million because they only own his Early Bird Rights. It seems Hartenstein could far exceed that offer on the open market.

To re-sign him, the Knicks were already banking on Hartenstein taking a hometown discount. It seemed possible that Hartenstein might prefer the comforts he's found in New York over more money elsewhere; several reports in recent weeks had said that the Knicks were viewed as the favorites to bring back the 26-year-old big man.

The Knicks' blockbuster trade for Mikal Bridges on Tuesday has only complicated the situation.

The trade, which has not officially happened yet, has the Knicks receiving Bridges in return for Bojan Bogdanovic and a plethora of draft picks. Because Bridges makes more money than Bogdanovic, the trade hard caps the Knicks at the first apron, which means they cannot spend more than $179.7 million in payroll.

As The Athletic's Fred Katz wrote in a piece that lays out the apron situation well, "If a team receives more total dollars in a trade than it sends out, then it will become hard capped at the first apron."

And because the Knicks are taking on Bridges' salary and OG Anunoby's new, five-year, $212 million contract, the Knicks do not even have the ability to spend the maximum they can offer Hartenstein. There was a chance Hartenstein would remain in New York for the $72.5 million; it's almost certain he won't if the Knicks offer even less than that.

So, the Knicks have a few options. They could find more money to add to the Bridges trade, which would push them to the second apron and give them a spending limit of $189.4 million. Being a second apron team would give the Knicks the space they need to offer Hartenstein the full four years, $72.5 million.

According to Katz, the Knicks have explored adding backup guard Miles McBride to send to a third team in exchange for a draft pick, but "have since shied away from that scenario." Indeed, McBride played a key role off the bench last season as a 3-and-D ball-handler and is on one of the best contracts in the NBA (three years, $13 million).

The Knicks could also make a separate deal to lower their payroll and give them more space to operate below the first apron.

The Knicks could explore trading Mitchell Robinson, who has a cap hit of $14.3 million. If the Knicks dumped Robinson's contract to a cap space team and didn't take back more money, they would have enough room to re-sign Hartenstein.

Of course, that would be a bold gamble for New York: if they don't have assurances that Hartenstein would take their offer, they could end up losing both of their centers in one offseason.

During the NBA Draft on Wednesday, the Knicks operated like a team trying to save money wherever possible. They traded out of one first-round pick and drafted Pacome Dadiet, an 18-year-old French wing who some view as a draft-and-stash possibility. It may have saved the Knicks about $3 million in payroll.

(Dadiet, for what it's worth, told reporters he wants to come to the NBA next season. It's unclear if any decision has been made on where Dadiet will play).

It's possible that the Knicks opt for a safer route: letting Hartenstein walk in free agency, keeping Robinson (who, despite not being as good of a fit as Hartenstein, has been effective when healthy), and finding a cheap backup center in free agency.

Hartenstein, with his rebounding, physicality, passing, and touch in the paint, is not an easy player to replace. But the Knicks might feel they can get by if they can replace something like 60% of Hartenstein's production in free agency. After all, the Knicks' offseason priority appears to be geared toward adding length, defense, and shooting to better matchup with the Boston Celtics.

The Knicks figure to be active in the coming days to prepare for the start of free agency. They may not be able to keep Hartenstein in the long run, but don't be surprised if they pull a rabbit of their hat in the coming days that gives them a better chance to try.