Cavs should re-sign Isaiah Hartenstein, provided he declines player option

Hartenstein can affect games in a number of ways in his burn for the Cavs

As we alluded to, Hartenstein has shown he can provide quite the boost in his run for the Cavaliers. He’s been a very effective interior finisher as a roller, has shown quality instincts as a cutter and has at times been able to be a viable low-post player when he’s gotten interior seals earlier on in possessions.

That’s led to feeds from Darius Garland/Collin Sexton and some from Matthew Dellavedova when he’s had burn with him, and Hartenstein has looked to have nice chemistry even early on with Kevin Love and Dean Wade, for example.

As was also noted, Hartenstein’s passing has definitely been a big plus, too, and that’s been a pleasant surprise for a backup 5, in particular.

The sample size hasn’t been big, as was mentioned, but 5.0 assists per-36 minutes for him is nothing to sneeze at, and that sort of thing from him, combined with the finishing touch, has made an impact in non-Jarrett Allen minutes.

On the defensive end of the floor, Hartenstein has been very effective with his rebounding positioning, too, and while fouling is something he needs to clean up, he’s been a legitimate rim protection presence as well. In non-Allen minutes, that’s not to be discounted, either, and him being a true 7-footer has its share of positives.

From there, I wouldn’t imagine Hartenstein would be necessarily really expensive and him being another 23-year-old effective 5 for legitimately playable depth would be good to have around.