The 26-year-old is expected to sign a three-year, $87 million contract.
The German professional basketball player Isaiah Hartenstein is likely to move from the New York Knicks to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the North American professional league NBA. According to several US media reports, the 26-year-old is about to sign a three-year contract worth 87 million dollars (81 million euros) with the title contender from the Western Conference.
Only basketball legend Dirk Nowitzki has so far signed a deal with a higher salary volume in the NBA as a German. In terms of annual salary, Hartenstein has the highest-paying German contract in NBA history
Hartenstein was a free agent after two years with the Knicks and can therefore move freely. Last season, the center was one of the top performers in New York that was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, averaging 7.8 points and 8.3 rebounds.
The Knicks were unable to make an adequate offer to the 7-foot-4 Hartenstein, who is known for his physicality and aggressiveness in offensive rebounding, due to the salary cap.
OKC lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the quarterfinals of the last NBA season and finished the regular season in first place in the West. Hartenstein has played for five NBA teams so far and will face Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished second in the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) vote for the 2023/24 season.
After Dennis Schröder (2018 to 2020), Hartenstein would be the second German player in the franchise since it moved to Oklahoma in 2008. Previously, the team was based in Seattle as the SuperSonics.
2024-07-02 00:59:13
#NBA #Hartenstein #moves #Oklahoma #media
