Cleveland Cavaliers: Two realistic expectations for Isaiah Hartenstein

With the NBA trade deadline approaching, several rumors regarding the Cleveland Cavaliers were swirling as to what trades they would make to shake up their roster.

Cleveland’s most notable name floating out there on deadline day was Andre Drummond, who reportedly received a buyout, though, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. That was after the Cavaliers failed to move him by Thursday afternoon’s deadline, and that was reportedly due to them seemingly not wanting to take back bad contract money.

But focusing on the move Cleveland actually did make, they brought in two second-round picks in 2023 (top-46 protected) and 2027. Additionally, the Cavaliers acquired young 7-footer Isaiah Hartenstein from Denver in return for JaVale McGee, of whom Cleveland generated a $4.2 million trade exception for, too.

Hartenstein, a second-round pick of the Houston Rockets in 2017, has appeared in 81 career NBA games over three seasons. While in Houston, Hartenstein never really had much opportunity to thrive in their small-ball system. However, he was able to showcase his skills in the G-League.

In 2019 Hartenstein helped lead the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to the G-League championship, where he was named Finals MVP. During that run in 2019, Hartenstein averaged 24 points and 15 rebounds while shooting 51 percent from the floor and nearly 47 percent from beyond the arc. Granted, Hartenstein is not a deep shooting presence at this point, in a general sense.

This season with Denver, of whom he signed with this offseason after being waived by Houston last June, Hartenstein averaged 9.1 minutes per game and put up 3.5 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. However, looking at his average per-36 minutes, Hartenstein is averaging 13.8 points and 11.3 rebounds while shooting 51.3 percent from the floor.

So what are two realistic expectations for Hartenstein for the Cavs, then?

One thing to expect from Hartenstein is that he’ll be a solid contributor some nights, but he’s still far from a finished product.

#1: The Cavs need to recognize he’s capable, but is still fairly raw at this point

This run with the Cavaliers could very well be Hartenstein’s first real shot in all likelihood to make an impact on an NBA roster. He’s now playing for a rebuilding franchise, whereas he was on a team with championship aspirations before this trade.

Hartenstein could provide the Cleveland Cavaliers with quality backup center minutes as he has flashed ability on the offensive end of the floor in the paint near the rim, and via push shots/from touch inside of 10 feet.

Plus, Hartenstein has also shown the ability to have solid court vision at times.

Another expectation should be Hartenstein’s overall impact on the defensive end of the floor as a notable presence on the interior. While his 7-foot frame gives him an advantage inside, there is room for improvement on that end; he should help Cleveland there, though.

#2: Hartenstein still has room to grow on defense, but his presence with verticality should make a difference for the Cavs

Hartenstein has flashed some defensive ability to block shots and use his length to his advantage. That said, he has been foul-prone at times and sometimes finds himself in no man’s land.

But as stated above, there is room for growth here for Hartenstein. There will be mistakes, but Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff should stick with him because we have to remember that Hartenstein is still just 22 years old and this is just his third NBA season.

With more meaningful minutes Hartenstein could take that step forward to becoming a solid overall backup center to aid in spelling Jarrett Allen.

Hartenstein appears to have the right attitude, and coming to a team with Allen, he should know his role. Getting a young center to potentially be your backup for the future is another nice addition, knowing McGee would not be on this team long-term.

Overall, the trade deadline was not particularly eventful for the Wine and Gold, but they made a minor move to acquire a young piece who could wind up being a quality role player.

As a side note, Hartenstein is set to have a $1.8 million player option for next season, so we’ll have to see what happens in regards to that down the road. Regardless, some more meaningful burn could pay dividends for him.