Why Knicks Should Re-Sign Precious Achiuwa
The New York Knicks have Isaiah Hartenstein, OG Anunoby and Alec Burks as unrestricted free agents on their roster this summer, but the next most important player looking for a new contract is Precious Achiuwa, who is restricted.
Restricted free agency means Achiuwa can't sign a contract with a team that isn't the Knicks. Instead, he can sign an offer sheet that would allow the Knicks to match any offer he gets from a team outside of New York. The Knicks would have two days to match if they wish to do so.
And it would be in the Knicks' best interest to bring back Achiuwa so long as finances make sense.
"Consistency has been an issue for Achiuwa, but he was given a chance to play meaningful minutes on an injury-plagued roster in New York and held his own against bigger frontcourt players, averaging 7.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 24.2 minutes per game with the Knicks. Achiuwa is an intriguing small-ball center, since he’s athletic enough to switch onto quicker players. We’ll see how his market develops — he won’t be the Knicks’ highest priority in free agency, so he could end up getting squeezed if his qualifying offer remains in place and no club wants to take its chances with an offer sheet," Hoops Rumors contributor Luke Adams wrote.
Achiuwa was seen as an afterthought when he was traded to the Knicks by the Toronto Raptors in the Anunoby deal. However, he ended up playing a big role for the team during the season with injuries piling up in the frontcourt. During the playoffs, Achiuwa averaged 5.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game for the Knicks.
The Knicks are expected to look for players on bargain-type deals, and Achiuwa could be a candidate for that. As a restricted free agent, Achiuwa may not sign his deal earlier than his unrestricted counterparts. That could give the Knicks an advantage if they wish to re-sign him, but Achiuwa should have some interest as a soon-to-be 25-year-old with potential to emerge into a quality backup 4 or 5 for a contending team.
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.