Cleveland Cavaliers expect Isaiah Hartenstein to withdraw from contract, but no firm decision before Friday’s deadline



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CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland Cavaliers expect Isaiah Hartenstein to exercise his playing option before Friday’s deadline, but have yet to receive a firm decision, league sources told cleveland.com .

Hartenstein, the 7-footer backup center who made $ 1.6 million last season, arrived in March from the Denver Nuggets. At the time, Hartenstein was seen as an underutilized and developing fringe guy who was certain to recoup his $ 1.7million player option for the 2021-22 season, giving him financial stability and security afterward. a quiet free agency process months earlier. Now this salary number looks like a good deal.

Because he only has two years of service, the Cavaliers could extend a $ 2.2 million qualifying offer by Aug. 1, making Hartenstein a restricted free agent. This would give Cleveland the right to match any offer from an interested suitor, which the front office considered.

While next Thursday’s draft could play a part in that decision, with the potential of USC big man Evan Mobley being available at No.3, there is little downside to making a qualifying offer. That’s a small number and the Cavs don’t plan to operate as a team with a cap. The other option, if Hartenstein pulls out, is to renegotiate a low-cost, multi-year, mutually beneficial deal.

A few months ago, Hartenstein told cleveland.com about this possibility.

“So far everything has gone well,” Hartenstein said in a telephone interview days before suffering a concussion in a 119-110 loss to the Washington Wizards on April 25, putting him sidelined for seven of the last nine games. “I can’t really say what’s going to happen in the future, but I hope we can renegotiate something this summer and that I can grow up with the youngsters. I think it would be a good experience. I feel comfortable here in Cleveland.

Hartenstein averaged 8.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in 16 games with the Cavs. Before his injury, he scored in double digits in seven games and recorded his third career double-double.

Part of head coach JB Bickerstaff’s night-time rotation, sometimes replacing injured Jarrett Allen and other times looking like an ideal replacement, Hartenstein would theoretically return to the Cavs in a reserve role as the front office will re-sign. Allen the priority off season.

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