The Cleveland Cavaliers have had an impressive run constructing the current roster, but it has not been perfect.
In a new power ranking, the Cavs' front office ranked fifth among all 30 franchises. With timely trades and bold moves, Cleveland's President of Basketball Operations, Koby Altman, has proven himself a talented roster builder. Though Altman has constructed a perennial contender in the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers' biggest mistake still haunts them.
Now an NBA champion, Isaiah Hartenstein was a member of the Cavaliers before being let go by the franchise in 2021. Joining Clevleand mid-way through the 2020-21 season, Hartenstein averaged 8.3 points and 6.0 rebounds through 16 games in the wine and gold. With barely a dozen games to leave a mark on the Cavs, Hartenstein entered restricted free agency as a prospect with uncertain potential. He had already played for three teams in three seasons, and his offensive game did not expand beyond the post.
The Cavaliers decided not to extend a qualifying offer to iHart, allowing the young big man to join the Los Angeles Clippers, a choice that would soon turn into a nightmare for the Cavs. In a recent ESPN article, releasing Hartenstein in 2021 was labeled as the worst mistake by Cleveland since 2020. While considered a small-scale problem by writer Zach Kram, the 2023 Playoffs were a painful reminder of that error.
In Cleveland's return to the postseason, the New York Knicks demolished the Cavs in five games. Hartenstein, in his first season with New York, was a physical powerhouse who was undeterred by the Cavaliers' frontcourt duo of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Hartenstein's gritty attitude and fearless effort crashing the boards embarrassed the Cavs. Ever since then, Cleveland has searched for their own version of Hartenstein, proving the value the team couldn't see in 2021.
Hartenstein is the perfect backup center for the Cavaliers
The Cavaliers primarily rely on Mobley and Allen to fill the center minutes, but both players' skillsets can diminish against bruising bigs. Cleveland's big men primarily rely on finesse and timely cuts to the rim, and their unwillingness to initiate physicality often allowed them to be bullied on the rebounding battle.
Hartenstein is the exact center the Cavaliers need to give the team a sense of relentlessness in the paint. In his first year with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Hartenstein played a pivotal role in a Finals run, serving as a high-end interior defender, an exceptional screen setter and an unstoppable rim runner.
By the time the Cavs let Hartenstein walk, he had already been waived by the Houston Rockets and traded by the Denver Nuggets. Cleveland likely never expected to retain Hartenstein, instead focusing on the emergence of a young Evan Mobley and Allen's continued leadership. Even with clear reasons behind the move, that single oversight into Hartenstein's potential led to his becoming a name that stings the hearts of Cavaliers fans with every utterance.
Perhaps it was Cleveland's dismissal that ignited the ferocious beast that is Isaiah Hartenstein. The Cleveland Cavaliers may have created their own worst enemy, and now he is a key piece to the biggest threat to the Cavs' Finals dreams.