The New York Knicks have a few big decisions to make this off-season, most of which revolve around the possible extension of Isaiah Hartenstein and potentially trading for a blockbuster name. Determining the future of Julius Randle is at the top of the totem pole. The Knicks could include him in a bigger trade to offload his salary if they plan on bringing another star to pair with Jalen Brunson.
Knicks’ Offseason Decisions: Balancing Big Moves and Salary Caps
However, an underrated decision involves Precious Achiuwa, a 24-year-old forward who played a reasonable role for the Knicks this past season after being acquired from the Toronto Raptors in the deal that also brought OG Anunoby to New York.
Precious Achiuwa’s Unexpected Rise and Contract Status
Unexpectedly, Achiuwa was forced into quite a prominent role during the playoffs, with injuries mounting. He played 49 games for the Knicks during the regular season, starting 18, and averaged 7.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and shot .525 from the field. He was a pretty solid player when the Knicks needed him and a quality depth piece, so he could be a reasonable option to return on a new contract.
Achiuwa is a restricted free agent, allowing the Knicks to match any offer sheet he receives from another team. During the postseason, he played nine games, averaging 5.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and shooting .488 from the field. He had made postseason appearances before with Miami and Toronto, but this was the most action he had received.
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Since Achiuwa’s previous contract was four years, $12.5 million, it is safe to say he will receive a decent increase in salary per season. Depending on what happens with Hartenstein’s future, the Knicks likely won’t pounce at the idea of extending Achiuwa unless they have extra funds to throw around.