In the NBA, a game full of opportunities and challenges, every player's story is a history of struggle, and the growth story of the German boy Hartenstein is undoubtedly one of the most inspirational chapters. The story of Hartenstein begins at the end of the bench for the Houston Rockets. As a second-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, he, like many unknown second-round picks, didn't attract much attention. In the star-studded Rockets team at the beginning, it was difficult to stand out.
However, Hatten did not give up because of this, he used every training session and every limited playing time to constantly sharpen his skills and improve his physical fitness, and gradually found his place in the team. From being the initial Cooler Guardian to occasionally being able to get into the rotation, Hatten has been incredibly solid every step of the way. In the late stage of the Rockets, Hatten was already able to occupy a rotation position, and then went to the Nuggets, Clippers, and then to the Knicks last season, Harden stepped by step and became the starting center of a strong team.
This summer's free agency is a crucial time for Harden to test the fruits of his hard work. Aside from Valanciunas, Harden is the most high-profile free agent center this summer, and he deserves a big contract, depending on how much it is. Eventually, the results came in. According to successive reports from NBA Legends Shams, Woj and others, multiple sources revealed that center Isaiah Hartenstein and the Thunder have agreed to a three-year, $87 million contract. At this point, the dust has settled on Hatten's whereabouts.
Woj said that several sources revealed that Hartenstein's agent had reached a signing agreement with Thunder executive Presti in the early hours of Monday local time. Under the collective bargaining agreement, the Knicks only have an early bird right to Hartenstein, and they can only make him an offer of $72.5 million over four years, while he can get a higher price from other teams. In the 2023-24 regular season, Hartenstein played in 75 games for the Knicks, averaging 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game, and 8.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 29.9 minutes per game in 13 playoff games.
With this three-year, $87 million contract, Hatten has not only proved his worth, but also added a new force to the Western Conference, which is not only a recognition of his personal ability, but also the best reward for his tireless efforts. In the Thunder, Hatten is expected to get more opportunities to perform, become an important pillar of the team's interior line, and continue to shine on the NBA stage, he will solve the Thunder's stubborn problem of weak rebounding last season, and make the Thunder one of the strongest forces in the West.
Hatten's current success also makes people feel sorry for the career trajectory of Chinese player Zhou Qi. Zhou Qi had high hopes when he was on the Rockets, and the Rockets attached much more importance to him than Hatten, but unfortunately Zhou Qi failed to seize the opportunity and finally regretted leaving the team until he faded out of the NBA stage. Now, seeing the brilliant achievements of his former teammate Hatten will undoubtedly make people think more about Zhou Qi's career and feel more emotional. If Zhou Qi could have worked harder, would he have been more successful than Hatten? This can only stay in people's imagination.