Knicks Decline Qualifying Offer for Precious Achiuwa
The New York Knicks are likely signaling the end of Precious Achiuwa's run with the team.
According to The Athletic insider Fred Katz, the Knicks did not extend Achiuwa a qualifying offer before the deadline, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Had the Knicks given Achiuwa a qualifying offer, he would have been a restricted free agent. That would have allowed the Knicks to match any contract that Achiuwa signed in free agency.
However, given the Knicks spending over the past week with the Mikal Bridges trade and the OG Anunoby extension, putting Achiuwa on an offer sheet would have forced New York into the hard cap even further.
Achiuwa averaged 7.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 24.2 minutes per game with the Knicks last season after he was acquired in the Anunoby trade with the Toronto Raptors.
Is there a chance Achiuwa comes back? The Knicks might want him to return, but it will be very difficult to see a world in which Achiuwa returns to New York. He will likely look to sign with a team that can give him a multi-year extension, and the Knicks simply aren't able to do that at the moment.
If the moves they made earlier this week didn't happen, Achiuwa's chances of staying with the Knicks would have been greater. However, the Knicks made their choice and will likely see a future without Achiuwa.
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.