The Knicks shook up the league with their blockbuster trade for Mikal Bridges earlier this offseason, following up with a huge draft that saw an influx of young talent compete in NBA Summer League for a potential rotation spot. Outside of the Olympics, there’s little NBA action to consume until training camp begins in a couple of months, yet it doesn’t feel as if Leon Rose and company are done dealing.
One question surrounding this Knicks roster as presently constructed is what they plan to do at the center position after losing Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency. Mitchell Robinson is a dependable starter, but the depth behind him is a bit shaky, between the unproven Jericho Sims, newly drafted Ariel Hukporti and G-League prospect Dmytro Skapintsev.
While there are some free agent options still available to New York, including bringing back Precious Achiuwa – with whom the the team has remained in regular contact – the Knicks still have some avenues to make a bigger upgrade via trade. Here are five potential deals they could weigh before going into the 2024-25 season.
Miles McBride and Precious Achiuwa for Clint Capela
If the Knicks are dead set on maintaining two weapons at the five spot and see McBride as expendable in light of Tyler Kolek’s Summer League, trading for a starting caliber center could be an intriguing move for the front office. There aren’t a great deal of high-end bigs available, but the retooling Hawks could look to part ways with Capela.
Losing McBride would hurt, and New York would need to sign-and-trade Achiuwa plus use their trade exception from the OG Anunoby deal to match salary figures. But in return, they’d receive a picture perfect addition, a rim-running defender that consistently tops the league in offensive rebounding.
Miles McBride and Precious Achiuwa for Brook Lopez
In a similar vein to the Capela deal, the Knicks can target Lopez, another center whose talent helps make up for the loss of Hartenstein. Unlike with Capela, Lopez brings a fresh look from the five spot New York hasn’t seen before.
Although he’s 36 years old, Lopez is still a solid defender, and while his rebound numbers don’t stand out, he boxes out well to create opportunities for others to grab the boards. He’s also a 35.4 percent shooter from three on five attempts a game over the last six seasons in Milwaukee, providing some spacing from the position the Knicks haven’t had to this point, which can open up a lot offensively for Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.
Draft picks for Jalen Duren
What irony it would be if the Knicks dealt, likely as part of a larger package, the 2025 first-round Bucks pick they received from Detroit for salary dumping Kemba Walker, for the very player they dealt away as part of that trade. Duren’s had a promising but mixed first couple of seasons, and now finds himself in a somewhat cluttered Pistons big man rotation.
If Detroit’s interested in moving on from him to clear room, New York could take a shot at an intriguing prospect who won’t have overwhelming pressure on him coming off the bench. Their trade exception can swallow his salary, and while they have limited draft capital remaining, they can shop three of their protected picks from other teams, along with seconds and maybe a future swap.
Draft picks for Walker Kessler
Knicks fans may recoil at the thought of trying to deal with Danny Ainge again, but he’ll sell on just about anybody for the right price. New York may not be able to pay that for Kessler, but if there is a way to acquire him straight up for the picks at their disposal, it’s a similarly interesting gamble to trading for Duren, with an arguably higher risk floor.
Precious Achiuwa and draft picks for Kevon Looney
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. 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.
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