Knicks Should Pursue Deal for Jazz’s Walker Kessler amid Latest NBA Trade Rumors

The New York Knicks have both Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa on their roster again heading into the 2024-25 NBA season. So they have a pair of players who can handle the bulk of the responsibility at center.

At the same time, the Knicks could stand to upgrade their depth at the position.

It’s been a bit of a hot topic of late, as New York may look to potentially add a center at some point in the future. That could happen at any point between now and the trade deadline on Feb. 6.

Which centers might the Knicks target should they explore the trade market?

SNY’s Ian Begley recently listed a few potential options, including the Charlotte Hornets’ Nick Richards, the Utah Jazz’s Walker Kessler, the Portland Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams and the Washington Wizards’ Jonas Valanciunas.

Of those players, Kessler could be the most ideal center for New York to pursue.

Kessler is only 23, with two years of NBA experience under his belt. The 7-footer has been a solid role player for Utah, averaging 8.7 points and 8.0 rebounds over 138 career games.

Also, Kessler isn’t set to become a restricted free agent until after the 2025-26 season. So he could be a long-term fit with the Knicks if they went out and swung a trade with the Jazz to land him.

There’s a good chance that Kessler hasn’t reached his full potential, either. He may only continue to get better as he gets even more time in the league.

Would Utah even be willing to move Kessler this early in his career? That isn’t known at this point. And New York certainly shouldn’t overpay in a trade to make something happen.

But if the Jazz are willing to listen to reasonably priced offers, then the Knicks would be wise to get involved. Adding Kessler to a roster that already has Robinson and Achiuwa would further strengthen the group of big men in their rotation.

Begley seems to think the Knicks could be engaged in trade discussions for a center sooner rather than later.

“I’m a little surprised that the Knicks haven’t signed a veteran backup center at this point. They have opened a championship window here with the [Mikal] Bridges trade,” Begley wrote. “It would surprise me if they waited until the trade deadline to address the center position.”

Maybe an aggressive mindset could bring Kessler to New York. It’s a move that could end up working out quite well for both sides.