Reporter is spot-on about why Knicks shouldn't pursue trade for injury-prone center

The New York Knicks are playing the waiting game. Almost a month has passed since Isaiah Hartenstein agreed to sign with the Thunder. New York has since made a free-agency signing, but it was for Cam Payne. The front office hasn't added another backup big, although they've expressed interest in several centers.

Precious Achiuwa is still on the market. SNY's Ian Begley reported there's mutual interest between both sides. Fred Katz of The Athletic explained why the Knicks could choose to overpay Achiuwa (subscription required) to counteract the tough restrictions of the collective bargaining agreement.

New York could take a few different routes. As a team over the first apron, the Knicks can't receive more salary than it sends out, which makes a trade complicated but not impossible (which is where overpaying Achiuwa comes into play).

In Brian Robb's recent piece for MassLive, he discussed Robert Williams III's future in Portland. Last summer, the Celtics sent the 26-year-old to the Trail Blazers as part of the Jrue Holiday deal. He played in six games before he tore a ligament in his right knee and had surgery.

Should the Knicks be interested in Robert Williams III trade?

Robb suspects that Williams won't last the entire season in Portland. He named teams like New York and New Orleans as potential landing spots for the center:

"The Knicks could certainly use some more help in the front court although another injury-prone big man probably wouldn’t work great behind Mitchell Robinson. The Pelicans could certainly use another big man after losing Jonas Valanciunas. The guess here is teams will want to see Williams back healthy on the floor for a bit this season before taking a gamble on him but I’d be stunned if he plays out another full season in Portland at this point."

As Robb noted, Mitchell Robinson has a concerning injury history himself. He's one of the league's best defensive big men (and rebounders) when healthy. As the Knicks know all too well, injuries can derail a season. If Robinson goes down, Jericho Sims is his current primary backup. Fred Katz noted that New York views Sims as an "emergency rotation player."

If the Knicks overpay Achiuwa and flip him for a true center before the deadline, Williams isn't someone they should consider. The most games he's played in a season is 61 (2021-22). Outside of that, he's hit the 50-game mark once.

Even if Williams has a strong first half of the season, there's no guarantee he'll make it through the postseason. New York would be better off keeping Robinson and Achiuwa.