The New York Knicks have been busy during the 2024 NBA offseason. They were active during the 2024 NBA Draft, making several trades to save some money and add value during the second round.
But, the biggest moves of the offseason came before the draft. The Knicks made a blockbuster trade to acquire Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets, giving them another piece from the Villanova championship teams along with Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart.
New York also re-signed OG Anunoby, giving them an elite two-way wing duo to combat the Boston Celtics. Alas, the 2024 NBA offseason was not a perfect one for the team.
A major void was created at the center spot with Isaiah Hartenstein departing in free agency. He signed a three-year, $87 million deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder; the best the New York Knicks could do was a four-year, $72.5 million contract.
Needing to add some more depth in the frontcourt, Leon Rose has dipped back into free agency. The first move made was re-signing Precious Achiuwa to a one-year, $6 million deal.
It was something of an unprecedented deal, as Achiuwa agreed to waive the no-trade clause he would have received. Achiuwa qualified for Bird’s veto, meaning he could have vetoed any trade he was involved in.
Waiving that means the Knicks can use him on a trade down the road if the opportunity presents itself. It provides the team some more flexibility to build a trade package should a need arise during the season.
Along with Achiuwa, the team also agreed to a contract with Chuma Okeke. A first-round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Okeke is an Auburn product who has some untapped potential after suffering an injury ahead of his rookie year.
He missed the entirety of his first season as a pro. Still only 25 years old, he could be a nice developmental piece for the Knicks on the wing. He fell out of favor this season with the Orlando Magic but is another solid long-term addition for the team.
Leon Rose has done a great job of filling out the New York Knicks bench this offseason. During the 2023-24 campaign when injuries hit, Tom Thibodeau was stuck playing extremely short rotations. That shouldn’t be the case any longer with the end of bench depth being greatly improved.
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