The New York Knicks are knocking at the door of a championship and the latest mock trade gives them a center who has emerged through that door three times before.
Heavy Sports’ Jonathan Adams analyzed a proposed deal crafted by SNY’s David Vertsberger, which sees the Knicks swap Precious Achiuwa and future draft picks for Golden State Warriors big man Kevon Looney. Adams had this to say about the feasibility of the deal:
“One of the intriguing trade proposals has the Knicks sending forward Precious Achiuwa and future draft picks to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for center Kevin Looney. One important note: Such a deal would need to be either a sign-and-trade or a midseason deal because Achiuwa remains a free agent. Yet, Looney’s fit on the Knicks would make some sense, even if the logistics of the trade would need tweaking,” Adams wrote.
Knicks could bank on Kevon Looney having career-year in New York next season
Achiuwa could very well leave the Knicks this summer and join another team in free agency. However, should the Knicks be able to sign him, trading him away for Looney would be a sensible move that could reap major benefits right away.
Looney had somewhat of a down season in 2023-24 after finishing No. 8 in Most Improved Player of the Year Voting in 2022-23. The UCLA product saw a drastic 7.8-minute decrease in court time per game for the Warriors. However, he was still able to grab 5.7 rebounds in just 16.1 minutes a night. Looney previously brought down a career-high 9.3 boards in 2022-23.
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Looney could bring a new element to the Knicks on both ends in 2024-25
The 28-year-old three-time champion is one of the most underrated glass cleaners in the league, and does several things well on both ends of the floor. On offense, Looney is exceptional in dribble-handoff situations. He also makes crisp reads, finding teammates cutting baseline for finishes under the rim.
The Wisconsin native is capable of knocking down 13-footers from the sideline or the elbow, but encouragingly, he also corrals offensive rebounds very well and could mirror the second-chance opportunities that Isaiah Hartenstein left on the table after departing for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Defensively, Looney protects the rim well and is a noteworthy one-on-one defender. He has a knack for blocking opposing center’s shots before they reach their apex and plays good team defense in the half-court.
While Achiuwa has the potential to get even better than what the basketball world saw from him last season, Looney is a proven contributor who has delivered in the biggest moments, highlighted by his performance in the 2022 NBA Finals. If the Knicks can add him in the thick of his prime, they could ingratiate championship DNA, defense, and rebounding into their mix, which would be invaluable for the franchise next season and beyond. He’d be a worthy add with his contract set to expire at the end of the 2024-25 campaign where he’ll make $8 million.
