Knicks Deadline Dilemma! Inactivity at Trade Deadline May Haunt Team for Seasons to Come
The New York Knicks didn’t do much at the trade deadline, settling for one small trade to swap a young center in Jericho Sims for a veteran point guard in Delon Wright.
However, the Knicks may have wished they did more. Bleacher Report writer Andy Bailey thinks that the Knicks could have traded veteran big man Precious Achiuwa and rookie point guard Tyler Kolek for a wing.
“It may seem counterintuitive for the New York Knicks to trade away frontcourt depth, but it’s hard to imagine them trading any members of the core that’s played the bulk of their minutes this season,” Bailey writes. “Beyond those players, the one that may be easiest to move is backup big Precious Achiuwa.”
“With Mitchell Robinson recently returning to the rotation, perhaps New York could flip Achiuwa and a young(ish) prospect to the rebuilding (in this imaginary world) Phoenix Suns for someone like Cody Martin,” he continued.
“There’s no guarantee Tom Thibodeau would trust Martin, but he’s a good passer for his position and has been well-above-average in defensive estimated plus-minus in each of the last two seasons.”
“Having him in the rotation might prevent Thibodeau from running OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart into the ground.”
The Knicks were uncertain about Robinson’s return, so having Achiuwa has been good insurance for that. Robinson played in the team’s last two games in a limited role, but both matchups resulted in victories, so there’s certainly a positive at the start.
But in the case that Robinson has a setback, Achiuwa can be there to serve as a backup big man for Karl-Anthony Towns, much like he has all season long.
If the Knicks want another wing or an upgrade, they can look to add a player with the 15th and final roster spot.
