Isaiah Hartenstein reveals how agonizing the decision was to leave Knicks
NY Post
LAS VEGAS — If the big offer came from a team other than the Thunder, Isaiah Hartenstein would have re-signed with the Knicks at a discount, the center told The Post.
But the combination of a three-year, $87 million deal — with $58.5 million of it guaranteed in the first two years — and a chance for a championship was too difficult to turn down.
“I was going to make sure I was set for the rest of my life,” Hartenstein said. “But then at the same time, if it wasn’t a team like OKC, I would’ve taken a pay cut because I loved it [in New York]. But I now have an opportunity to make that money, make that pay raise, and still compete. I think that was the main factor.”
The Knicks, as Hartenstein confirmed in the interview Monday with The Post, made the biggest offer they could given their cap restrictions — four years, $72.5 million — which is about $11 million less annually than the Thunder contract.
Jalen Brunson participated in the pitch to retain Hartenstein.
“They said whatever we can give you, we’re going to give you,” Hartenstein said. “I talked to Jalen a couple times, Jalen and the guys. They really wanted me back and I really appreciate that. But it was definitely a hard decision. I couldn’t say no to an opportunity like this.”
With the Yankees on an impressive run of mostly correct decisions, there’s some reason to leave them alone and just let the best team in the American League continue to roll. But they did raise serious doubt and leave room for suggestions (and even ridicule) following maybe the most inexplicable decision of this season, or any season.
The Giants have never been 0-2 under Brian Daboll, until now. They were 2-0 and flying high in 2022 and 1-1 after a rousing comeback in Arizona in 2023. So, this represents a low point as far as early-season difficulties for Daboll and the Giants. They had no business beating the Vikings in the opener and no business losing to the Commanders in Week 2. But here they are.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Harrison Butker kept making a lonely walk to midfield after each quarter Sunday to check on the direction of the wind, which tends to swirl inside Arrowhead Stadium. He did it one last time during the 2-minute warning, when his Chiefs were trailing the Bengals by two and trying to give him a winning field-goal attempt.