Josh Hart hilariously asks NBA to investigate Isaiah Hartenstein's Thunder move, saying team lured him with plush blank check home
Josh Hart of the New York Knicks jokingly asked the NBA to investigate former teammate Isaiah Hartenstein's move to the OKC Thunder. Hart hilariously claimed that the Thunder lured Hartenstein with a gorgeous blank check house somewhere in the state.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Hart shared a glamorous blank check property in Oklahoma with a 19,000-square-foot mansion and a 70,000-gallon swimming pool. It also has a lot of amenities, such as a hot tub, koi pond, gold driving balcony, game room, basketball court, bowling alley, a 33-car garage and a $6 million, 32,000 sq. ft. heated and cooled barn.
The Knicks guard hilariously called the NBA to investigate Hartenstein's deal with the Thunder because the franchise might have lured his former teammate with a blank check house like that.
"The Thunder told Zay they will get him this… investigate @NBA," Hart wrote.
Isaiah Hartenstein played the last two seasons with the New York Knicks, having a starring role this past campaign due to an injury to Mitchell Robinson. Hartenstein didn't put up shocking numbers, but he was so good at playing his role. He was making plays, defending the post and doing the dirty work with heart and hustle.
It's one of the reasons why the Knicks fanbase fell in love with him, especially in the playoffs. But it's also one of the reasons why the franchise couldn't keep him. The OKC Thunder came in to scoop him out of New York with a massive three-year, $87 million contract.
Some people might cringe at the deal since Hartenstein has mostly been a role player in his NBA career. However, he's a perfect fit in Oklahoma City and could play as a starter alongside Chet Holmgren. It means the Thunder can now play big and put Holmgren, as well as Jalen Williams, in their natural positions.
Isaiah Hartenstein comments on being paired with Chet Holmgren
The OKC Thunder finished with the best record in the Western Conference despite being undersized. Chet Holmgren was their starting center, although his style of play suits him at power forward. Jalen Williams is an undersized four and could even play as a two-guard, but is perfect as a small forward.
OKC recognized their roster flaws following their second-round exit against the Dallas Mavericks, which had two big centers in Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford. So they went out and signed Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency.
Here's what Hartenstein said about his potential pairing with Holmgren:
"I think, high-IQ player. I think he's very skilled. I think we can play really good together. Defensively, having two of the top rim protectors on the court at the same time, it's not easy. But I'm really excited. That's one thing, I'm really excited to see how that goes. He's very talented, and I think with my IQ, I'll have to do a little bit more of the dirty work so he can chill a little bit." [H/T Sports Illustrated]