Breaking: Knicks sign in Hornets’s favorite star in a blockbuster deal a replacement of Isaiah Hartenstein.
After Isaiah Hartenstein left the organization in free agency to join the Oklahoma City Thunder, the New York Knicks are still in need of a backup center. After striking a blockbuster deal for Mikal Bridges, the Knicks still had assets up for grabs and could locate a suitable replacement.
To help them address that hole, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley suggested three trades following the start of free agency. One of his suggestions was based on Nick Richards of the Charlotte Hornets receiving a protected first-round pick. The Hornets would also need to get a matching salary.
Richards would be the Knicks’
The protected first-round pick would go to the Hornets.
On July 11, Buckley wrote, “The Knicks, perhaps eyeing a way around the Boston Celtics, prioritized the wing position this offseason.” In addition to spending that large haul of choices in the Bridges trade, they had to pay $212.5 million to retain OG Anunoby. That might have been a wise move, considering how formidable a defensive duo Bridges and Anunoby is against Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown of the Celtics, but it did come at a cost. Remarkably, it left New York short of the amount needed to retain Isaiah Hartenstein, a rock-solid center who left the Big Apple to join the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Knicks’ center rotation currently has a noticeable hole, which is significant considering Mitchell Robinson’s extensive history of injuries. If New York is unable to acquire a replacement for Nick Richards in free agency, it may try to get him to join the Charlotte Hornets via trade.
Richards is reportedly of interest to the Knicks.
There have been rumors that the New York Knicks are looking for a backup center. The Knicks need to address this since Mitchell Robinson has only appeared in more than 59 games once in the previous four seasons.
In the event that Robinson sustained an injury, New York would be without a replacement for Hartenstein, who did so a year prior.
Walker Kessler and Richards are two important backups that the Knicks have expressed interest in, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
On July 2, Scotto said, “League sources told HoopsHype that the Knicks have also made inquiries on the trade market, showing interest in Jazz center Walker Kessler and Hornets center Nick Richards, as previously reported by HoopsHype.”
Richards’ Potential Fit in the Knicks
Richards’ ability to block shots and grab rebounds would complement the defensive philosophy of the New York Knicks. He didn’t attempt any 3-pointers in the 2023–24 season, so he doesn’t have much of one.
Despite not being a great 3-point shooter, Hartenstein had a more complete offensive game than Richards, particularly when it came to passing.
Entering the second season of his three-year, $15 million deal, Richards would give the Knicks a cheap option who could play crucial minutes. He averaged 9.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 26.3 minutes per game. Richards, a native of Jamaica, attended St. Mary’s in New York and The Patrick School in New Jersey for high school. He was a starter in 51 of the 67 games he appeared in.
