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Knicks Could Wait for Wizards Trade

The New York Knicks may have a center solution if they are patient enough.

Jeremy Brener

Oct 30, 2021; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas (17) gestures after making a 3-point basket in the first quarter against the New York Knicks at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2021; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas (17) gestures after making a 3-point basket in the first quarter against the New York Knicks at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports / Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
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The New York Knicks have been searching for a long-term center plan this offseason after the team couldn't retain starter Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency.

The Knicks couldn't afford to keep Hartenstein after the Oklahoma City Thunder offered him a three-year, $87 million deal while New York could only offer a four-year, $72.5 million contract.

The team is rolling with Mitchell Robinson as the starter and it is comfortable letting him be there for the entire season, but plans constantly change in the NBA.

If the Knicks are unhappy midseason with Robinson's progress, they could look to make a trade with the Washington Wizards for Jonas Valanciunas.

"Valančiūnas signed a three-year contract with the Wizards, although his actual time in the nation's capital could be closer to three months," Bleacher Report contributor Greg Swartz writes. "The veteran center got his money and will almost certainly be moved to a contender before the Feb. 6 deadline. The Knicks could use his rebounding, screening and toughness either as a starter or backup to Robinson."

Valanciunas, 32, signed a three-year, $30.295 million contract with the Wizards last month. However, with Washington likely heading to the top of the lottery once again, the team could look to move him as soon as they can in December.

That window from December to February will be crucial for the Knicks as they make their final moves to get the best team possible. That's when they traded for OG Anunoby and Bojan Bogdanovic this past season, and it helped them get to 50 wins by the end of the season.

The Knicks should look to be aggressive during that time period again, and a trade for Valanciunas with the Wizards would be an example of that if Robinson doesn't work out as the team's starting center.

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Jeremy Brener

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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