Knicks best backup center option may now be their own free agent

With Isaiah Hartenstein leaving the New York Knicks for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Knicks are now thin at center.

The Knicks still have Mitchell Robinson, who will reassume the starting five position, but the only other center on the roster with any experience is the seldom-used Jericho Sims.

The Knicks could still look to free agency, but many of the viable backup candidates, like Goga Bitadze, Moe Wagner, Luke Kornet, and Andre Drummond, have all been scooped up. Many of the remaining free agent center options are either poor fits with the Knicks or under-qualified to play major minutes as a backup center on a playoff team.

The Knicks could also explore trade options. They have been linked to third-year Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler, who would immediately inject the Knicks with elite rim protection. But it's unclear if the Knicks have enough assets to get Kessler.

So with options dwindling, the Knicks' best route at this point may be going with a familiar name: Precious Achiuwa.

The Knicks declined to offer Achiuwa an offer sheet in June, which would have made him a restricted free agent (meaning the Knicks could match any offer he receives in free agency). However, they still have his Bird rights, which allows them to re-sign him up to a certain price.

SNY's Ian Begley reported that Achiuwa has received interest from "several contending teams," but that there is mutual interest between him and the Knicks.

Of the available options in free agency, Achiuwa looks by far the most qualified to play backup center for the Knicks. And New York can find comfort in its familiarity with Achiuwa.

The 24-year-old center came over to the Knicks in the OG Anunoby trade and ended up starting 18 of 49 games with the Knicks, due to a rash of injuries. As a starter, Achiuwa averaged 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 52.6% from the field.

That Achiuwa has started for the Knicks could be important, because Robinson, while talented, is often injured. In his six-year career, Robinson has never played more than 66 games in a season. He has only played 31 games in two of the past four seasons.

History says Robinson is likely to miss 15-20 games next season, meaning it's important to have a reliable backup center.

While Achiuwa doesn't jump off the page in any one way, he's a long, fluid athlete who contests shots well, attacks the glass for rebounds, and even has some off-the-dribble offensive game that Robinson lacks. As The Athletic's Fred Katz said on the "Knicks Film School" podcast , Achiuwa also won over Tom Thibodeau with his work ethic this past season.

There might be hope that Achiuwa could even offer the Knicks a stretch-five option. Achiuwa shot 36% from three on 156 attempts in 2021-22, his second year in the league. He has since shot a combined 55-of-205 from three (26.8%) over the past three seasons, meaning that 2021-22 season is an outlier. But if the Knicks coaches can help Achiuwa rediscover his stroke, even to a moderate degree, it could help take the Knicks' offense to another level.

It's tempting to say that the Knicks backup center won't determine if the Knicks can contend for a championship. But with Robinson's injury history, whoever plays backup center could suddenly play a large role on the 2024-25 Knicks. And as New York saw last year with Hartenstein, sometimes a bench option can become a critical piece to the team.