Report: Knicks trying to acquire shot-blocking big man

The departure of Isaiah Hartenstein has left a huge void in the Knicks' center rotation ahead of the 2024-25 season. While Mitchell Robinson is still on the roster, his recent injury history has forced the Knicks to scour the market for other big men, per several insiders.

One name making the rounds is Walker Kessler, a shot-blocking phenom who averaged 2.4 rejections in just 22 minutes per game for the Jazz last season. The third-year big man also showed offensive versatility in his sophomore season by occasionally stepping out to the three-point line. 

According to SNY's Ian Begley,  the Knicks "have been in touch" with the Jazz about acquiring Kessler as a potential solution at the center position. The report added that the Jazz "are looking for at least a first-round pick" in return for Kessler, a price that the Leon Rose-led front office could be hesitant to match.

"That's going to be a tough price for the Knicks to meet or match, and I would assume that they wouldn't be able to get that deal done," Begley said in his NBA free agency update.

If the Knicks cannot land Kessler, they are expected to switch their focus to free agent Precious Achiuwa, whom they originally acquired from the Raptors as part of the RJ Barrett trade last year. 

Begley noted that Achiuwa "has drawn interest from several contenders" and has remained in touch with the Knicks. The Nigerian player will decide on his next team in the coming days, per Bagley. 

The Knicks are wise to look for a reliable backup to Robinson, who missed a combined 83 games over the last two seasons and appeared in only six playoff games this year. Furthermore, Robinson's limited ability to impact the game on the offensive side is another reason for the Knicks to look elsewhere for solutions.