The New York Knicks could have tendered Ariel Hukporti a $2.7 million qualifying offer, and made him a restricted free agent. They could have. But they didn’t. And by doing so, they saved money while, just as importantly, avoiding a situation in which their seldom-used reserve center entered next season with a no-trade clause.
Giving Hukporti a qualifying offer would’ve made some sense if he were in-demand, and New York was looking to hammer out a long-term deal. As a third-string 5, he is certainly not in-demand. And with the Knicks Super Mario-ing their way through second-apron obstacles, signing Hukporti to a multi-year deal doesn’t top their to-do- list.
This confluence of circumstances would have assuredly led to the 24-year-old signing his qualifying offer. Had he done that, he’d be on an expiring deal in which his Bird Rights would not transfer if he finished the season on a different team. That, in turn, would give him veto power in the event New York tried to trade him.
Employing someone who earns $2.7 million with a no-trade clause may not seem like a big deal. But it throws layers of flexibility by the wayside. At the very least, the Knicks would be forced to jump through an additional hoop if they wanted to trade him. That’s more than a minor impediment for a team already toeing fine lines.
This issue takes on a different meaning if New York’s decision prevented it from bringing back Hukporti. It doesn’t. The Knicks have the ability to re-sign him on a minimum deal. And wouldn’t you know it, his cap hit on a minimum is around $200,000 cheaper, clocking in at about $2.5 million.
Scoff at the difference if you dare. New York needs every penny of maneuverability it can chisel out. Remember, this is the same team that finished $237,000 under the second apron this past season. And if James Dolan continues to whine about the view from atop his pedestal, the Leon Rose-led front office must again work around similarly thin margins.
New York’s Hukporti decision is low-risk
The Knicks could live to regret their decision if another team swoops in, and poaches Hukporti. As an unrestricted free agent, he doesn’t have to wait and see whether New York matches rival offers. And while he’s not in-demand, any contract above the minimum could prove too rich. The Knicks won’t use their mini mid-level exception to sign him, if they use it all.
Still, the odds of another squad coming after a center who racked up under 500 total minutes this past year is beyond slim. Maybe a team decides it wants to mess with the Knicks’ depth chart. So be it. Third-string bigs priced around the minimum grow on trees.
Of course, the uncertainty surrounding Mitchell Robinson’s future in the Big Apple casts a pall over everything.
If Dolan continues to insist he won’t even enter the season inside the second apron, New York’s longest-tenured player is good as gone. Losing Hukporti as well would sting, mostly because he’s a low-rent quasi-replacement familiar with the Knicks’ system.
Even with the spectre of Robinson’s departure hanging over the offseason, though, there’s no arguing against this qualifying-offer decision. Hukporti has value to the Knicks. But it’s nowhere near enough to hand him a no-trade clause.
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