Potential Sixers Free Agency Prospect Signs With Rival Knicks

The New York Knicks re-signed a potential target for the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.
Mar 10, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (12) controls the ball against New York Knicks forward Precious Achiuwa (5) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (12) controls the ball against New York Knicks forward Precious Achiuwa (5) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

With the Philadelphia 76ers likely in the market for a veteran forward, one name to keep an eye on was Precious Achiuwa.

Considering Achiuwa plays a position in need for Philadelphia and has ties to 76ers head coach Nick Nurse, there was a potential link between the former Toronto Raptors veteran and Philadelphia.

You can cross Achiuwa off the list at this point.

On Tuesday, the New York Knicks announced they had re-signed the veteran forward.

Achiuwa remains a direct rival of the 76ers.

Although he started his career with the Miami Heat in 2020, the former first-round pick landed in the trade to the Raptors, which helped the Heat acquire Kyle Lowry. Achiuwa would spend two full seasons with the Raptors as a backup center.

During the 2023-2024 season, which served as Achiuwa’s third season with the Raptors, he found himself traded after appearing in 25 games. With 153 games under his belt in Toronto, Achiuwa wrapped up his time with the Raptors after producing nine points and six rebounds per game. He was a piece in the in-season blockbuster trade that helped the Knicks land OG Anunoby.

With the Knicks, Achiuwa appeared in 49 games. He even picked up 18 starts throughout the final stretch of the season. The veteran averaged 24 minutes on the court. During that time, he made 52 percent of his shots to score eight points per game. He came down with six rebounds per outing.

The Knicks had a busy offseason, which didn’t include Achiuwa right away. With the veteran remaining on the free agency market weeks after it opened, the Knicks took advantage of the situation and retained the 24-year-old for a reported $6 million deal.

As for the Sixers, they remain on the hunt for another veteran addition. This week, they signed another guard by adding former Denver Nuggets veteran Reggie Jackson.


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Justin Grasso

JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA