Knicks Nearly Traded for Jazz Center
The New York Knicks lost Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency, and the team was thinking about trading for a center as a result.
Per a report by Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus, the Utah Jazz had been in talks with some teams to trade Walker Kessler, including a stalled conversation with the Knicks.
The team was without starting center Mitchell Robinson a fair amount this past year, as he missed over half of the season due to an ankle injury.
As a result, the team could have been looking to sure up their center position this offseason. Kessler averaged eight points, eight rebounds, and two blocks per game in his second season in the league. His defensive presence would have been a solid fit for head coach Tom Thibodeau’s scheme, but the team decided to go in a different direction.
The Knicks will be sticking with Robinson at the five this season, as they will be hoping that he can stay on the court.
They also re-signed his backup, Precious Achiuwa, just to make sure that they have enough depth behind him just in case something does happen. The team did not want to change too much about their lineup outside of Mikal Bridges, as they will be looking to build off of their solid year this past season and become one of the best teams in the NBA.
