The terms: Three years, $87 million (via Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium)

The New York Knicks faced an uphill battle to retain Isaiah Hartenstein. Since they only had Early Bird rights on him, they couldn't offer him more than a four-year, $72.5 million deal.

In the end, the 26-year-old got $15 million more from the Thunder and gets to re-enter free agency a year earlier.

Hartenstein's raw numbers from this past season (7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 blocks per game) don't look deserving of nearly $30 million annual salary, but the Thunder had to push this contract over what the Knicks could offer. This might be a bit of an overpay, but Hartenstein should solve a lot of what plagued the Thunder last season.

OKC ranked 28th leaguewide in rebound percentage last year and was thin in the middle behind Chet Holmgren. The West is loaded with talented bigs (Nikola Jokić, Anthony Davis, Victor Wembanyama, Zion Williamson, Domantas Sabonis, Karl-Anthony Towns, etc.), and Hartenstein now gives the Thunder a strong defensive presence to play behind or alongside Holmgren.

His salary suggests that Hartenstein will play next to Holmgren in the starting lineup, although that would force either Lu Dort or the newly acquired Alex Caruso to the bench. Hartenstein isn't a three-point shooter, which could affect driving lanes for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who's used to playing in five-out lineups.

This isn't a perfect fit for Hartenstein and was probably more money than he deserves, but it's an overall solid signing for a Thunder team that should be right back in the championship mix next season.