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The New York Knicks still need a backup center after the team lost Isaiah Hartenstein to the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency. Still having assets to move in a trade after making a blockbuster deal for Mikal Bridges, the Knicks could find a serviceable replacement.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report proposed three trades after the beginning stages of free agency to help them fill that void. One of his proposals was built around a protected first-round pick for Nick Richards of the Charlotte Hornets. There would have to be matching salary going out to the Hornets, too.
Knicks would get: Richards
Hornets would get: Protected first-round pick
“The Knicks, perhaps eyeing a way around the Boston Celtics, prioritized the wing position this offseason,” Buckley wrote on July 11. “Besides using that pile of picks in the Bridges deal, they also coughed up $212.5 million to keep OG Anunoby. That could be a smart strategy—Bridges and Anunoby is one heck of a defensive tandem to throw at Celtics’ stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown—but it did require some sacrifice. Notably, it left New York short of what it would have cost to keep steady-as-a-rock center Isaiah Hartenstein, who bounced out of the Big Apple to join the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“There is now a notable vacancy in the Knicks’ center rotation, and that’s kind of a big deal given Mitchell Robinson’s lengthy injury history. If New York doesn’t feel it can fill that void in free agency, then it could hit the trade market and see what it would take to lure Nick Richards away from the Charlotte Hornets.”
Knicks Have Rumored Interest in Richards
Rumors have circulated about the New York Knicks’ interest in finding a backup center. Because Mitchell Robinson has only played in more than 59 games once over the past four seasons, it’s an area the Knicks need to address.
If Robinson were to get injured, New York wouldn’t have someone who could fill that void like Hartenstein did a year ago.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Knicks have shown interest in Walker Kessler and Richards, two valuable backups.
“The Knicks have also made inquiries on the trade market, showing interest in Jazz center Walker Kessler, league sources told HoopsHype, along with Hornets center Nick Richards, as previously reported by HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote on July 2.
How Richards Would Fit With the Knicks
Richards’ ability to rebound and block shots would fit in well with the New York Knicks’ defensive scheme. He doesn’t have much of a 3-point shot, not attempting any in the 2023-24 season.
While Hartenstein wasn’t a 3-point shooter, his offensive game was better overall than Richards, especially as a passer.
He averaged 9.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 26.3 minutes per game. He was a starter In 51 of the 67 games he appeared in but only started in 14 of his first 133 career games, so he has experience coming off the bench.
A Jamaica native, Richards is familiar with the area. In high school, he attended St. Mary’s in New York and The Patrick School in New Jersey.
Entering the second season of his three-year, $15 million deal, Richards would give the Knicks a cheap option who could play valuable minutes.
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