By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The New York Knicks have picked up Los Angeles Clippers’ backup center Isaiah Hartenstein after landing Jalen Brunson.
The German big man has agreed to sign a two-year, $16 million fully guaranteed deal with the Knicks, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Both Brunson and Hartenstein are clients of Creative Artists Agency, where Knicks president Leon Rose became a powerful NBA agent before becoming a team executive.
The 7-foot big man was solid for the Clippers as Ivica Zubac’s backup. Hartenstein averaged 8.3 points, 2.4 assists, and 4.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 18 minutes off the bench. He shot well from the outside, albeit in a small sample size, sinking 14 of 30 three-pointers last season.
Hartenstein was the Houston Rockets’ second-round pick in 2017. After two unproductive seasons with the Rockets, Hartenstein worked his way to becoming a solid rotational piece in the NBA G League. He led the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to the 2018-19 NBA G League championship, winning the Finals MVP after scoring a career-high 33 points on eight three-pointers.