Knicks Land Hawks Center in Trade Projection

The New York Knicks need a center, and they could find one in Clint Capela.

Mar 5, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) is guarded by New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks will have to get creative in order to find an upgrade at center following the departure of Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Hartenstein shined as the Knicks center last season, and that earned him a three-year, $87 million contract with the Thunder, opening up a sizable hole in the frontcourt.

The Knicks are utilizing Jericho Sims and Mitchell Robinson as in-house replacements to hold the fort down, but they are going to need someone else if they want to prepare themselves a little better. SNY columnist David Vertsberger suggests using Precious Achiuwa in a sign-and-trade and packaging him with point guard Miles McBride to the Atlanta Hawks for Clint Capela.

"If the Knicks are dead set on maintaining two weapons at the five spot and see McBride as expendable in light of Tyler Kolek’s Summer League, trading for a starting caliber center could be an intriguing move for the front office," Vertsberger writes. "There aren’t a great deal of high-end bigs available, but the retooling Hawks could look to part ways with Capela. Losing McBride would hurt, and New York would need to sign-and-trade Achiuwa plus use their trade exception from the OG Anunoby deal to match salary figures. But in return, they’d receive a picture perfect addition, a rim-running defender that consistently tops the league in offensive rebounding."

McBride is potentially an expendable piece for the Knicks considering they drafted Tyler Kolek in the second round in June and signed veteran Cam Payne earlier this month. While McBride is talented, he may need to be traded in order to get an upgrade in the frontcourt.

Capela, 30, would certainly help the Knicks out. He has a decade of NBA experience and has been to both the Western and Eastern Conference Finals with the Houston Rockets and Hawks. This past season, Capela averaged 11.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, marking the seventh consecutive year he averaged a double-double.

While he holds a pricy $22 million expiring contract, the risk could be worth it for the Knicks if he provides what they are currently lacking.

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