Isaiah Hartenstein Loss Would Hurt Knicks' NBA Title Push Amid Mikal, Anunoby Rumors

There is plenty of reason to be excited if you are a fan of the New York Knicks.

Jalen Brunson developed into a star. The team went deeper in the playoffs than some expected, reaching the conference semifinals before injuries doomed them in Game 7 against Indianapolis.

Tuesday night, word broke that the team was trading for the Nets' Mikal Bridges. Wednesday, reports that the team was retaining OG Anunoby, their prized deadline acquisition, on a five-year, $212.5 million deal.

Entering the NBA Draft, everything was coming up Knicks.

Except, that is, an under-the-radar report from SNY's Ian Begley.

Hartenstein does not have the star power of Brunson, Anunoby, or Bridges, but he was important to what the Knicks accomplished last season. He may have only averaged 7.8 points but tallied 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and just over one block per game.

Add to that his above-league average of 64.4 percent from the paint and you have a player whose contributions transcended his own, individualistic point total.

Hartenstein held down the center position when Mitchell Robinson underwent season-ending surgery in May.

Losing him creates questions about the team's depth at one of the key positions on the floor.

Robinson figures to return, especially if Hartenstein walks in free agency, but there is a decided lack of quality depth behind him. Begley and John Flannigan of Yahoo reported that one potential target for the Knicks is Magic big man Goga Bitadze.

Bitadze came off the bench for Orlando last season, averaging five points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and less than one steal per game. He is an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

The return of Anunoby and the addition of Bridges makes for one of the best duos in the league on the wings while enhancing the team's defensive efforts. It creates a ton of buzz in the Big Apple and excitement among fans, as it should.

Without adequate play from the center position, and backup if Robinson is not available at any point in the season, the team could still struggle even with the headline-grabbing upgrade of Bridges and the return of Anunoby, especially if head coach Tom Thibodeau takes a more defensive approach to this year's squad.