The Cleveland Cavaliers have fared quite well in recent years.
Executive Koby Altman has done a solid job in two positions within the organization, helping put together a strong and young roster.
However, all teams make mistakes, and the Cavs are no exception.
Zach Kram of ESPN recently named the biggest roster mistake of every NBA team since 2020 and chose one Cavs contract decision.
“Biggest mistake: Declining Isaiah Hartenstein’s qualifying offer (2021),” Kram wrote. “On a smaller scale, Cleveland surely regrets not extending Hartenstein a qualifying offer in 2021. Hartenstein flashed his potential in a short stint in Cleveland, averaging 17 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists per 36 minutes in 16 games. Yet after drafting [Evan] Mobley, the Cavaliers figured they didn’t need Hartenstein anymore — only to watch him turn that potential into greater on-court production with the LA Clippers, New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder, becoming a crucial contributor to an NBA champion in the process.”
In all fairness, it’s not like the Cavaliers were the only team that didn’t buy into Hartenstein’s potential.
It wasn’t until Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau gave him a chance to play heavy minutes that Hartenstein broke out, and Mitchell Robinson’s injury may have been a blessing in disguise.
He went on to sign a big-money, multiyear contract with the Thunder, and he was an integral piece of their rotation en route to a championship.
Hartenstein is a great defender who can hold his own against the most physical big men, and he’s the type of enforcer who thrives off his toughness and rises to the occasion when it matters most.
Unfortunately, that’s not what Cavs fans have said of Jarrett Allen, especially in the playoffs.
Of course, chances are that Hartenstein would have left Cleveland at some point if it had kept him in 2021.
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