National Basketball Association

3 points: The Hart of the Knicks, the new Immanuel Quickley and the directionless Nets

Updated Jan. 10, 2024 7:35 p.m. ET

Trade season has arrived. We had our first deal of the year — more on that below — and rumors are swirling.

Below are notes on two players thriving for teams that have already made trades, and one on a team that needs to make some moves of its own.

1. The new Hart of the Knicks

When it was announced in late December that Mitchell Robinson would be sidelined for at least 8-10 weeks after undergoing ankle surgery — prompting concerns that he could done for the rest of the season — it was fair to wonder whether the New York Knicks were in a bit of trouble. Robinson is a premier rim protector and one of the best offensive rebounders in NBA history. He was essential to the Knicks on both ends of the floor.

And yet! Since his injury the Knicks have thrived? Not because they're better off without Robinson, but because it turns out that, in Isaiah Hartenstein, they had another starting-caliber center on the roster ready to go.

In 11 games since replacing Robinson, the 25-year-old Hartenstein is averaging 8.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and three assists. But those numbers don't fully capture his impact, which has been especially evident since the Knicks flipped Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett for OG Anunoby, a move that has propelled them to five straight victories.

For one, Hartenstein, like the man he's replaced, is an elite defensive anchor. He's got all the skills to play Tom Thibodeau's preferred drop-coverage. He's adept at the cat-and-mouse game required to stifle opposing screen-and-dive attacks — turn a Knicks game on, and you'll see him sitting in a defensive stance, feet bouncing, arms stretched wide. He's got good instincts, too. It's no accident that he's fifth among all centers in steals per 100 possessions (2.2) and seventh in total deflections.

Where he excels most, though, is contesting shots at the basket. Opponents have converted just 54.1 percent of their rim attempts with Hartenstein in the vicinity, according to Second Spectrum tracking data, the 12th best rate in the league among all players who've defended at least six such-attempts. It's why the Knicks' defense has improved by 3.7 points per 100 possessions with Hartenstein on the court.

What separates Hartenstein from so many other mid-tier centers, though, is his two-way ability. He's an offensive threat, and not just by setting strong screens or finishing around the hoop (he's hit 60.6% of his 2s this season). Hartenstein's also capable of shredding defenses with dimes from the elbows. And capable of punishing centers who try zoning up. He did this multiple times on Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers by using the open space offered to him by a sagging Joel Embiid as a runway to the rim.

Hartenstein — who the Knicks signed to a two-year, $16 million contract last summer, which has proven to be one of the more valuable deals in the NBA —is in line for a huge payday this upcoming offseason. He's also going to force the Knicks into a tough decision, as they won't be able to carry both him and Robinson on their books.

But that's all months away. Right now, the Knicks — winners of five in a row, and owners of a 22-15 record — look like a team that could win multiple playoff series, and Hartenstein is a big reason why.

2. A Quick(ley) transition

Speaking of players in line for major paydays this summer, we're just four games into Immanuel Quickley's Toronto tenure, but you can already see why he was a player the Raptors targeted in an Anunoby deal over a package of picks. In five games with the Raptors, Quickley is averaging 17.3 points, 6.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game, and has drilled 39.7% of his deep attempts as the Raptors have won TK.

Quickley looks like a perfect fit alongside Scottie Barnes, the team's 22-year-old cornerstone (who just happens to be having an All-Star caliber season). He'd be overmatched as the lead playmaker, but he's perfect as No. 2, where he can mix in spot-ups, catch-and-shoots and secondary pick-and-rolls.

And, despite being just 6-foot-2, he's an eager and often lockdown perimeter defender. The Raptors' defense has been 7.2 points per 100 possessions better with him in the lineup, according to Cleaning the Glass.

Quickley's a restricted free agent this summer. He's going to cost the Raptors a lot of money. The Raptors clearly don't care. Quickley is just 24-years-old and will be a part of whatever comes next in Toronto.

3. The Nets need another reset

You'll be forgiven if you haven't been paying attention to what's going on in Brooklyn. Honestly, there's not much deserving of your attention. They're 16-21, not quite bad enough to be fun and not even good enough to be mediocre. They're 21st in the NBA in net rating.

None of the team's young players have popped. Mikal Bridges has taken a step back — his assist (3.7 per game) to turnover (2.4 per game) ratio is bad, and he's shooting just 35% from deep. And we haven't even mentioned Ben Simmons, because, well, why would we? He's been sidelined since November and doesn't appear close to a return. Oh, and this is also the team that got fined $100,000 for violating the NBA's new player participation policy.

This Nets group is going nowhere. And there's no reason for them to tank, since they don't own their own first round pick (it belongs to Houston, courtesy of the James Harden deal). But what they can do is start reshaping the roster and collecting more assets so that they can be in better position next season. They have players other teams would want — Royce O'Neale and Dorian Finney-Smith are both legitimate 3-and-D wings. And Nic Claxton, who's in the final year of his contract, is a center who would draw interest around the league as well.

All three should be traded before the deadline — and the Nets should be willing to listen if teams call about any other player aside from Bridges. This team is bad and boring. There's no reason to keep it going.

Yaron Weitzman is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. He is the author of "Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers and the Most Audacious Process in the History of Professional Sports." Follow him on Twitter @YaronWeitzman.

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