The New York Knicks may very well find themselves pursuing more trades during the NBA season.
While the Knicks boast a formidable roster full of wings, guards, and forwards, their lack of depth at center is one weak spot.
The Knicks’ center currently rotation consists of Mitchell Robinson, Precious Achiuwa, and Jericho Sims. Robinson is talented, but injury-prone. Achiuwa and Sims are both slightly undersized and unproven as key cogs on contenders.
The Knicks have reportedly explored trades for another big man all offseason, but seemed to have held off for now.
In a piece for The Athletic, analyst and former Memphis Grizzlies executive John Hollinger said he expects the Knicks to continue their search during the season. Hollinger argued that the Knicks will want another reliable big man who can hold up in close games and fourth quarters.
Hollinger wrote:
“Regarding the center position, I see two issues for the Knicks. The first is whether Robinson can stay healthy through an entire season. The second, and I’d argue the more relevant one, is if Robinson is the guy they want in the middle of a playoff series … The Knicks’ most likely pathway to getting another big of this caliber is an in-season trade, which is yet another reason it was so important for them to avoid getting hard capped at the first apron in the Bridges trade.
“In the short term, New York fortified the center depth by re-signing Achiuwa, but by February they’re going to want another player on the roster who is capable of playing fourth quarters in the middle.”
Hollinger went on to name Draymond Green and Jusuf Nurkic as potential fits if the Golden State Warriors’ and Phoenix Suns’ seasons go sideways. He also named the Portland Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams III as a potential target — a player we had also named as a trade candidate earlier this summer.
After sending out five draft picks for Mikal Bridges, the Knicks cannot trade any of their own future first-round picks. They own highly protected first-round picks from the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards, or they could offer to swap picks with a team.
But because the Knicks need to match salaries in any trade, Achiuwa’s $ 6 million salary becomes important in any trade. The Knicks also still have the $ 5 million taxpayer mid-level exception to use. Though MLE targets are slim at this point in the offseason, the Knicks could still look to sign someone with the exception, just to have another $ 5 million to use in a trade.
If necessary, the Knicks could also use Cameron Payne’s $ 3 million salary or Miles McBride’s $ 4 million salary in a trade.
Depending on the target, the Knicks could stack those salaries to bring in a player making $ 10 million-plus this season.
Of course, it will have to be the right target. Given that the Knicks would likely have to use Achiuwa in the deal, New York surely wouldn’t want to send one center and some roster depth out the door, just to make a lateral move for a different center. With Robinson’s injury history — he’s coming off two ankle surgeries and has played only 31 games twice in the last four years — any center target would likely have to be more durable and versatile than Robinson and bigger than Achiuwa.
There’s a lot of time between now and the February trade deadline. It’s certainly possible that Robinson could hold up and Achiuwa could make a small leap into a more impactful player, thus changing the Knicks’ stance on the need for another big man. But come December and January, when players are trade-eligible, the Knicks seem like they will be a team to watch.
