Precious Achiuwa’s $6 million Knicks gamble has chance for huge payoff

At some point in his long free agency, Precious Achiuwa understood it became a “numbers game.”

The Knicks were navigating around the luxury tax, restructuring their roster with restrictive salary cap aprons in mind.

And Achiuwa waited to re-sign on July 30, nearly a full month after free agency started.

“If I wanted to be somewhere else,” Achiuwa said, “I would not be here.”

In the end, Achiuwa didn’t get the big contract from the Knicks, or anywhere else.

His one-year, $6 million deal translates to a gamble on himself, even if Achiuwa was forced into the wager because the free-agent market wasn’t exactly robust.

In New York, he’ll certainly have an opportunity to cash in.

With the departure of Isaiah Hartenstein and indefinite absence of Mitchell Robinson, Achiuwa should enter the season as the Knicks’ first frontcourt player off the bench.

At 6-foot-8, he’s better suited for power forward — which is Tom Thibodeau’s preferred position for Achiuwa — but the lack of center depth means the 25-year-old undoubtedly will see time at the 5.

He was forced into action there last season with injuries to Robinson and Hartenstein.

“I know I’m versatile. Playing the power forward, the center, the versatility of my game stands out the most,” Achiuwa said, “and last year I was able to show a lot of people that I was able to do a lot of different things.”

Still, Achiuwa was happy that the Karl-Anthony Towns acquisition meant he’s less needed at center. Achiuwa’s stated preference is power forward, where he filled in last season for Julius Randle.

“Hopefully [Towns] will help me play more of the 4,” Achiuwa said. “But it doesn’t really matter.”

Towns plugged the roster’s biggest hole at center but there remain questions over whether the Knicks can hang with bigger frontcourts. Their starting power forward is OG Anunoby, who is 6-7, or Josh Hart, who is 6-4, and the backups for two spots are really only Achiuwa and Jericho Sims.

Robinson’s return could restructure the rotation, but the Knicks haven’t provided an official recovery timetable from his ankle/foot injury. A source said Robinson could return by December or January but noted the situation is fluid. Robinson was supposed to recover by training camp from what was initially described as a “small procedure” to his ankle. There’s since been nothing from the Knicks as to why Robinson’s timeline was pushed back so dramatically.

Known for posting vague messages on social media, Robinson recently wrote via Facebook, “A lot of people knocked me down by doubting me but I SHALL RISE AGAIN and when I do I will not be the same.”

The 26-year-old hasn’t been made available to the media.

Earlier in his career, Robinson built a reputation for losing focus and lacking commitment. For instance, he was invited to the 2019 Team USA Select Camp but showed up late and “there were all kinds of problems getting him to Vegas,” a source said. Robinson left the camp early while citing a knee injury. He later bailed on Thibodeau’s first voluntary minicamp in 2020 because of “personal reasons.”

“I think he’s got a long way to go,” Thibodeau said back then about his impressions of Robinson. “The work part, the professionalism to continue to grow to impact winning, there’s a lot of room for growth — I think the discipline to practice well each and every day.”

Robinson showed a greater commitment the last two seasons, elevating himself into the All-Defense conversation before a stress fracture emerged in his ankle. He needs to rediscover that discipline to recover again.

If not, Achiuwa is around to pick up the slack of a thin frontcourt — just like last season and the start of this one.

“I understand that we have a goal,” said Achiuwa, who grew up in The Bronx after emigrating from Nigeria. “And it’s just for me to see what I can do to help us reach that goal.”