The New York Knicks have been busy in early July. They traded for star forward Mikal Bridges and re-signed star forward OG Anunoby. They also re-signed star guard Jalen Brunson to a team-friendly deal and added backup guard Cam Payne. However, there is still a glaring hole.
New York’s center rotation looked set to be a bust in the 2024 NBA playoffs. Isaiah Hartenstein proved to be a legitimate starter, and Mitchell Robinson looked like a perfect fit after returning from ankle surgery (and before he re-injured himself). But, like the Knicks’ pre-Leon Rose days, not everything would go smoothly.
Hartenstein only signed a two-year deal in 2022, meaning New York did not own his Full Bird Rights. The Knicks had a cap on how much they could offer him, and the Oklahoma City Thunder offered much more. Needless to say, Hartenstein signed with the Thunder.
Now, the Knicks are stuck with just one experienced center (Robinson), and he’s pretty injury-prone. So, what’s New York to do? Well, one perfect solution is to re-sign another of Robinson’s teammates, Precious Achiuwa.