New York Knicks star Josh Hart joked about Isaiah Hartenstein’s split from the team after signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency.
“He’s dead to us,” Hart said on Fanatics Sportsbook’s Roommates Show podcast with teammate Jalen Brunson and Matt Hillman.
Brunson also revealed during the episode that Hartenstein texted him after signing with the Thunder, and the Knicks star couldn’t help but troll his now-former teammate.
“He texted me, he was like, ‘Yo bro, appreciate everything killa.’ I was like, ‘Who’s this?'” (27:45 mark).
Hartenstein left the Knicks after two seasons to join the Thunder on a three-year, $87 million deal in free agency, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Knicks, a team limited by the salary cap and their pursuit of Mikal Bridges, offered the center four years and $72.5 million to stay in New York. That would have provided Hartenstein with less than half of the annual average value of his Oklahoma City offer, per Matt Ehalt of the New York Post.
Hartenstein averaged 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 75 games for the Knicks last season.
He stepped in for an injured Mitchell Robinson in the playoffs to help the Knicks come within one win of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Hartenstein will now play behind Chet Holmgren as the Thunder look to become a title contender, while the Knicks will need to search for another player to back up Robinson.
Losing their reliable backup center may have been a blow to the Knicks’ roster depth, but it will make Hart and Hartenstein’s reunion during the next Oklahoma City vs. New York matchup a must-watch game this fall.
