Time is ticking, with the NBA trade deadline a little over three weeks away. New York Knicks fans are waiting to see if the front office will make a trade before the deadline or if the team will enter the postseason with their current roster.
The Knicks made their splashiest moves over the offseason by trading for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. New York had been interested in KAT for a while. Minnesota was reluctant to let go of him, but it did so, thanks to the Knicks. New York didn't want to give up Donte DiVincenzo, but acquiring another center was necessary after losing Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency.
Some fans want to see the Knicks acquire another center before the deadline. Towns is having the best season of his career, but the backup center situation is iffy. Mitchell Robinson hasn't played in a game this season, Jericho Sims has spent more time out of the rotation than in it, and Ariel Hukporti is a rookie. New York re-signed Precious Achiuwa over the summer, but he's not a traditional center.
There is one center the Knicks were interested in that might be available before the deadline. Nick Richards is Mark Williams' backup in Charlotte, and he could be a player New York is still eyeing. He's averaging 8.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game, shooting 56.1% from the field.
Should Knicks be willing to let go of Precious Achiuwa before trade deadline?
James L. Edwards III of The Athletic created three trade scenarios (subscription required) for New York leading up to the deadline. He didn't include Robinson in the trades because he said he will create scenarios involving the center next week. It'll also be hard for the Knicks to lure a team to acquire an oft-injured center who likely won't make his debut before the deadline.
Edwards focused on using Achiuwa's six-million salary in two of the three deals, one of which involved Richards and the Hornets. New York would send Achiuwa to Charlotte and two second-round picks for Richards.
Edwards added that people who work in front offices around the league view Richards as the "more desired player" over Achiuwa, but it's safe to say many Knicks fans don't feel that way. It's normal to overvalue a player on your team, but there's more to it than that. Achiuwa played well for New York in the second half of last season when the injuries piled up.
Losing Achiuwa is a risky move. He missed the first few weeks with a strained hamstring, a tough blow for a Knicks team short on depth. Achiuwa is averaging 5.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Those numbers don't jump out at you, but his value goes deeper than that.
Any significant trade, including one involving Richards, would involve either Achiuwa or Miles McBride. The latter is on one of the best-value contracts in the league and is too important to give up.
New York's front office is one of the best in the league, so it wouldn't be surprising if they managed to pull off a solid trade before the deadline. However, it might be in the team's best interest to play the rookies more so they don't have to worry about giving up a valuable player like Achiuwa or McBride.