Barcelona Sets Sights On Signing Cavs’ Isaiah Hartenstein

Spanish club Barcelona is targeting Cavaliers center Isaiah Hartenstein as a potential offseason addition, per HoopsWire sources.

Barcelona is likely to “put on a full-court press” for Hartensetin, including asking veteran NBA center Pau Gasol reach out in a recruiting effort, one source said. Gasol spent this past season playing for Barcelona.Hartenstein, 22, is 7-foot-0 and appeared in 16 games with the Cavs after a late-season trade with the Nuggets.

He has a player option on his contract, and after averaging career-highs of 8.3 points and 4.4 rebounds in Cleveland, is expected to opt out and become an unrestricted free agent.

Overseas clubs such as Barcelona are likely to offer Hartenstein more money than he will receive in NBA free agency, and providing an “NBA out” in his contract may be enough for him to head overseas.

Hartenstein ended the season on the injured list with a concussion. The Cavs are more than open to bringing him back, given that he served as the primary backup to starter Jarrett Allen when healthy.

International account Basketball Rumors EU also reported on Barcelona’s interest in Hartenstein.