On Tuesday, July 30, the New York Knicks revealed that they have re-signed backup forward Precious Achiuwa. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Achiuwa’s new contract is a one-year deal worth $6 million. Notably, the 6-foot-8 Achiuwa has waived his no-trade clause, which could make him a valuable trade asset for the Knicks as they approach the trade deadline in February. He will become trade-eligible on December 15, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.
By combining Achiuwa’s salary with that of Miles McBride ($4.7 million) or another player acquired through the Knicks’ $5.2 million taxpayer midlevel exception, the team could potentially trade for a player valued between $11 and $12 million.
Veteran centers in that salary bracket include Mo Wagner of the Orlando Magic ($11 million), Ivica Zubac of the Los Angeles Clippers ($11.7 million), Robert Williams III of the Portland Trail Blazers ($12.4 million), and Steven Adams of the Houston Rockets ($12.6 million).
Precious Throw-In
Achiuwa returns to the Knicks after being included in the OG Anunoby trade last December. However, he quickly proved to be more than just an extra player, particularly when the team lost three-time All-Star Julius Randle to a shoulder injury in late January.
In 49 games, including 18 starts, the 24-year-old Achiuwa averaged 7.6 points on 52.5% shooting, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 24.2 minutes per game. During the Knicks’ playoff run, the four-year veteran contributed 5.2 points on 48.8% shooting, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 20.5 minutes per game over nine games.
A native of Nigeria who played high school basketball in the Bronx, Achiuwa re-joins a Knicks frontcourt that has lost Isaiah Hartenstein. Mitchell Robinson will start at center, with Achiuwa, Jericho Sims, and rookie Ariel Hukporti—who is on a two-way contract—expected to rotate as backup options.
The Knicks still have two open roster spots and are currently $7.6 million below the second apron, according to ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks.
NBA Scout Says Knicks Had Worst Offseason
Before Achiuwa re-signed, an Eastern Conference scout expressed to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps that the Knicks had the league’s worst offseason. The scout criticized the team for losing Isaiah Hartenstein, awarding the injury-prone OG Anunoby a $212.5 million, five-year contract, and trading five first-round picks for Mikal Bridges.
“I’m not convinced they’ll be better this year,” the scout told Bontemps.
Anunoby has been sidelined for 73 games over the past three seasons. In contrast, Bridges has been remarkably durable, having not missed a game in the last four seasons. However, Bridges is not an All-Star and is coming off a subpar year with the Nets.
To acquire Bridges, the Knicks surrendered four unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031), a protected 2025 first-round pick (via the Milwaukee Bucks), an unprotected 2028 pick swap, and a 2025 second-round pick. Bridges is coming off a disappointing season in Brooklyn, his first full year with the Nets after arriving in the Kevin Durant trade.
In that season, Bridges averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.0 steals per game, with shooting percentages of 43.6% from the field and 37.2% from three-point range.
Hartenstein departed for a three-year, $87 million offer from the Oklahoma City Thunder—an amount the Knicks could not match due to his early Bird Rights.
Shaq Not Sold on Villanova Knicks Hype
While the Knicks’ front office believes that the Bridges trade and Anunoby’s re-signing have brought them closer to a championship, Shaquille O’Neal, a four-time NBA champion and analyst on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” has a different view.
On “The Big Podcast” on July 27, O’Neal remarked, “New York is a place that’s built on hype. That controls the hype. They can hype everybody else up. They haven’t won [expletive] but ‘Oohh, New York, New York.’ So [Brunson] can play. I was wrong about him. He’s impressive. But they’re nowhere close to winning a championship. They’re gonna win some games and do this, but I’m more impressed with — at the end of your career — how many championships you won.”
Despite being the second seed in the Eastern Conference last season and winning 50 games for the first time since 2013, the Knicks were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the second round after a seven-game series.