The Knicks aren’t going to replace Isaiah Hartenstein overnight.
But 7-foot-1 Ukrainian big man Dmytro Skapintsev gave his best impression in a standout performance to help the Knicks stave off the Detroit Pistons in a 91-90 Summer League victory on Friday night.
Losing Hartenstein to the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency was the lone lowlight of an offseason where the Knicks vaulted themselves into the title-contention conversation by re-signing OG Anunoby to a five-year, $212.5 million deal, then trading hefty draft compensation to the Brooklyn Nets for Mikal Bridges.
A stacked roster from one to four now sorely misses the depth Hartenstein provided as the NBA’s best backup big man who assumed the starting role when Mitchell Robinson went down with a stress injury in his left ankle in December.
Robinson returned to action after three-and-a-half months, then re-injured the same ankle to start the second round of the playoffs and underwent a second surgery that ended his season.
Hartenstein was an insurance policy against an injury to Robinson, who has missed extended time in three of the last four seasons.
With Hartenstein gone, Jericho Sims is the only other center on the roster, and while the Knicks have the right to exceed the salary cap to re-sign Precious Achiuwa, they have not done so yet.
Which brings us to Las Vegas Summer League, where dreams come true, or realities set in.
And while the reality may be these Knicks need a more proven option at the five to join a ready-made contender, New York’s Summer League roster features players with dreams of earning a roster spot, in orange and blue or another color.
The Knicks took German-Togolese center Ariel Hukporti with the 58th and final pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. They also welcomed Skapintsev back to the Summer League roster after two seasons developing at arm’s length with New York’s G-League affiliate Westchester Knicks.
Skapintsev closed Friday’s victory over the Pistons for the Knicks, finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds (including five on the offensive glass), three blocks, two assists and a steal. He also set a crushing screen on Pistons No. 5 overall pick Ron Holland, freeing Tyler Kolek for a crunch-time bucket to help seal the deal.
Skapintsev has range out to the three-point line but is more reliable of a mid-range shooter. He also had 19 points, nine rebounds and three steals in the loss to the Nets.
Hukporti has more raw athleticism, and he has decent feet after spending his youth playing soccer. Staying out of foul trouble has been a problem for the 22-year-old big man who logged 11 points, eight rebounds and five fouls on Friday.
The Knicks still have their $5.2 million tax-payer’s mid-level exception available to sign free agents. At this point in the process, however, there aren’t many proven veterans available in free agency to help the Knicks reach their championship goals.
Which means the Knicks can either trade for a center (during the offseason or ahead of the mid-February trade deadline), re-sign Achiuwa, take a flier on a minimum player — or take a flier on one of the two big men making a case for a roster spot in Las Vegas.
On Friday, the spotlight was on Skapintsev, and he didn’t disappoint.
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