The New York Knicks have had one of the most exciting offseasons of any NBA team. Could more moves be on the way for the Knicks?
SNY.TV’s David Vertsberger put together a list of five potential trades that would help the Knicks land a new center. Despite all the offseason additions, the Knicks lost center Isaiah Hartenstein to the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency.
One of the intriguing trade proposals has the Knicks sending forward Precious Achiuwa and future draft picks to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for center Kevin Looney. One important note, this would either need to be a sign-and-trade or a mid-season deal as Achiuwa remains a free agent. Yet, Looney’s fit on the Knicks makes some sense, even if the logistics of the trade may need tweaking.
“The Warriors aren’t likely to be sellers in this market, but trading with the Knicks could net them extra ammo for pursuing one of their larger targets,” Vertsberger wrote in a July 24, 2024, story titled, “5 potential Knicks trades for a center ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season.”
“Looney is a cleaner fit at the five for New York than Achiuwa, and Golden State can utilize both him and the picks going into next season.”
Potential Knicks Trade Target Kevin Looney Was a Part of 3 NBA Championship Teams With the Warriors
The Warriors opted to retain Looney this offseason as the center enters the final season of a three-year, $22.5 million contract. Looney is slated to have an $8 million cap hit in 2024-25.
The veteran would add some needed veteran experience to the Knicks roster as a three-time NBA champion. Looney has spent his entire nine-year NBA career with the Warriors. The big man averaged 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game in 74 appearances for Golden State last season, including 36 starts.
The Knicks Are Still Considering Re-Signing Precious Achiuwa
Precious Achiuwa, a free agent, is likely in talks with the Knicks about his contract. The Knicks might be offering him two options:
1. They’ll pay him the extra money needed to complete a trade that works financially.
2. If no trade happens, they’ll sign him to a contract with…
New York still has Mitchell Robinson on the roster, but the big man has had difficulty staying healthy. Achiuwa just finished a four-year, $12.5 million rookie deal.
SNY.TV’s Ian Begley reported that the Knicks continue to remain in contact with Achiuwa about a potential return. Last December, the Knicks acquired Achiuwa as well as OG Anunoby in a trade with the Toronto Raptors.
“Mitchell Robinson, he’s on the roster. He’s here now, but you know he has a history of getting hurt,” Begley detailed in a July 13 edition of “SportsNite.” “So, you need a backup center who can start 30 games next season, and I know they’ve continued to be in touch with Precious Achiuwa, their own free agent. I think they’ve also had casual trade talks about some high-salaried veteran centers on the trade market.”
Achiuwa averaged 7.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in 24.2 minutes per game during 49 appearances for the Knicks. The forward also made 18 starts since arriving in New York.
The forward entered the NBA as a highly touted prospect given his McDonald’s All-American high school career at powerhouse Montverde Academy followed by one collegiate season at Memphis. Achiuwa was the No. 20 overall selection by the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA draft.
Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports contributor covering the NFL, NBA and golf for Heavy.com. His work has been prominently featured on NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated. More about Jonathan Adams
