Precious Achiuwa, of the New York Knicks - for now.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 25: Precious Achiuwa #5 of the New York Knicks warms up before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Madison Square Garden on January 25, 2025 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Upon their conclusion of their season, the New York Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau, despite making their first Eastern Conference Finals since the 1999-00 NBA season. In the post-mortem after the decision was taken, reports indicate that part of the reason for it was Thibodeau’s reluctance to use the team’s bench players. And now it seems as though one of the few bench players Thibodeau trusted might be leaving the team, too.
Per Steve Popper of Newsday, backup big man Precious Achiuwa is not expected to return to the Knicks next season. Achiuwa, a five-year NBA veteran, is headed to free agency after the expiration of the one-year, $6 million contract he signed last season, but while the Knicks have salary cap ramifications to contend with, it is not simply cost that will see Achiuwa leave.
“Achiuwa seemed to be most likely to be gone among players who were contributors this season, not signing back with the Knicks last summer until all other options were exhausted. But there was a dissatisfaction with playing time under Thibodeau — and the coaching staff having equal dissatisfaction about the defense and consistency provided by Achiuwa.”
Knicks Need Defensive Bigs, Even With Achiuwa
As a limited scoring threat, defence was Achiuwa’s main role. According to Popper, however, it seems Achiuwa was heading away from that.
On the season, Achiuwa – who joined the Knicks as an ancillary part of the December 2023 trade with the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby – averaged 6.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks per game, shooting 50.2% from the field. Those are the numbers of a defence-first player. However, Achiuwa has never established an offensive profile – in a power forward’s frame, he lacks the consistent jump shooting and handle of a modern four, and while he runs the floor well for a big man, his usage in the half-court offence is limited. Which would be fine, had he not sought his shot so much.
A lack of size at the big man positions was one of the biggest weaknesses of the Knicks this season. Karl-Anthony Towns does not leave the paint especially well, and a lack of rebounding tenacity left the team only 17th in the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage. Achiuwa was one of the team’s best options in this area, and his athleticism was a needed commodity. However, standing only 6’8, he is also caught between positions – too small for a full-time centre, too underskilled outside of the paint for a full-time power forward.
Money Is Tight
That said, if Achiuwa does depart, the finances will likely be the main motivator.
As Achiuwa has never changed teams as a free agent, the Knicks will have full Bird rights on Achiuwa, allowing them to (theoretically, albeit completely unrealistically) re-sign him for anything up to and including the NBA’s maximum salary. It will not happen, but it could.
However, because of the rest of their payroll expenditure, their options are more limited. The NBA’s current official projections put the 2025-26 “second apron” threshold at $207,824,000, and, as things stand, the Knicks are set to have a $194,354,847 payroll for 2025-26. This figure does not include the salaries for their two 2025 first-round draft picks – and nor does it include Anunoby.
Should the Knicks surpass the second apron, they will face great limitations on what they can do. They will not be able to acquire any players in sign-and-trades, use trade exceptions from previous years, or use the Bi-Annual exception at all. In trades, they will not be allowed to take back more than 100 percent of the salary they send out, and will also be limited to just using the minimum salary contract to add external free agents. Being over the second apron also would prohibit them from aggregating contracts nor trade multiple players in the same deal, while also forbidding them from sending cash out in trades. And finally, second apron teams cannot trade first-round picks that are seven years in the future, limited only to six.
That is a lot to contend with, and the Knicks already have limited resources with which to try and upgrade their team to get over the hump. If he actually hit the corner threes he had begun to take, perhaps Achiuwa would have been factored into the financial planning. As it is, though, it seems he will have to leave.