Isaiah Hartenstein blames Nets for potentially costing him millions: ‘They red-flagged me’

Isaiah Hartenstein said the Brooklyn Nets sabotaged his draft status by “red flagging” him for a fake knee injury, pushing him to the middle of the second round in 2017 and potentially taking away millions in guaranteed money.  

“They red-flagged me for my knee. I never had knee problems in my life,” Hartenstein said on the “Roommates Show” podcast with hosts Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. “The only thing I had something with my back. I knew that. So I’m like maybe it’s my back.

“On draft night, my agent’s like, ‘What’s wrong with your knee?’ I’m like, ‘What are you talking about? My knee is fine.’ He’s like, ‘Brooklyn just red-flagged you for your knee so you’ll probably drop a couple spots.”

Hartenstein said he was projected to fall in the 15 to 35 range of the draft. Instead, he was picked 43rd by the Houston Rockets. 

“Draft night. they’re like. ‘Houston wants to talk to you,’” Hartenstein said. “At the time, before that I was projected 15 to like 35. And Houston had 43. So I’m like, why do they want to talk to me? I’m on this Zoom call uninterested, pissed, like why am I talking to these people right now? And they ended up drafting me because I got red-flagged.” 

Hartenstein, who worked out for the Nets ahead of the draft, said the problem supposedly arose from his physical with the team. After the draft, he flew back to Germany – his home country – to get checked out by doctors. 

“They’re like, there’s nothing wrong with your knee,” Hartenstein said. 

Sean Marks was the GM of the Nets and used his 22nd pick on another center, Jarrett Allen. 

First-round picks are guaranteed money in their first two years via the rookie scale, plus have team options for two years after that. Second-round picks have to negotiate a contract with usually a smaller salary and fewer guarantees. 

For instance, in 2017, the 15th overall pick was guaranteed a total of over $4.3 million in his first two seasons and had options worth about $7 million combined for the next two.

Hartenstein spent his first season in the G League after being drafted.

Over Hartenstein’s first four seasons, with four different organizations, he earned a total of approximately $5.6 million in salary, averaging roughly $1.4 million per season, per Spotrac.

His career took off with the Clippers in 2021-22, leading to a two-year, $16 million deal with the Knicks. He emerged this season as New York’s starting center and an important piece to the team’s best season in at least a decade. 

He’s also in line for a huge payday in the summer as an unrestricted free agent, although the Knicks will be over the cap and can only offer in the $16 million starting salary range because they hold his early Bird Rights. 

ESPN Front Office Insider Bobby Marks projected Hartenstein will get in the $13-14 million per year. 

“Everything worked out perfectly,” Hartenstein said. 

But his draft night was ruined by the Nets. 

“I think after 35 (was called), I’m upstairs in the suites, I’m pissed,” Hartenstein said. “I’m like, ‘Why did they red flag me, why did I drop so far?’

“Actually when I got drafted, I was in the restroom. I was in the restroom taking a piss. All I hear, my dad sprint in ‘Isaiah, Houston just drafted you.’”

Hart, a noted needler of the Nets, got back at the franchise during a separate conversation on the podcast. He compared the Nets to the Clippers as two teams playing second fiddle in their own city. 

“Now you do the West Coast trip, you play the Lakers and the Clippers. The energy of the vibe of the Clipper games and the Laker games, you would think it’s a different arena,” Hart said. “It’s like New York, man. Ain’t nobody rocking with Brooklyn.”