Vetern Center Emerges as Latest Knicks Trade Target

The Knicks entered the 2024-25 NBA season with one of the best starting units in the league, but the team’s depth issues were very palpable in the early goings. In light of those struggles, several analysts urged New York to make a move or two before the February 6 trade deadline.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Jed Katz, the Knicks have internally shown interest in acquiring veteran Rockets center Steven Adams as a backup to Karl-Anthony Towns. Katz further noted that Adams was among the shortlist of centers linked to New York including Jonas Valanciunas and Walker Kessler.

“Adams joins a list of centers within Knicks trade circles,” Katz wrote on December 8. “Jonas Valanciunas and Walker Kessler, among others, are linked to New York. The Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, and other rebuilding teams are established sellers as NBA trade season approaches.”

“The Knicks have some time before getting involved in any serious trade talks. Robinson is expected to return sometime in January, and the trade deadline isn’t until Feb. 6. However, Adams along with the other centers mentioned are names to watch.”

Will Knicks Trade Mitchell Robinson?

The easiest path for the Knicks to acquire Adams from the Rockets would be to ship out Mitchell Robinson’s $14.3M salary for the 2024-25 season along with a draft asset.

However, Robinson — a known favorite of Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau — has a lot of fans within the Knicks organization and might not necessarily be available for trade. According to Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto, Thibodeau plans to play Robinson next to Towns in the Knicks’ starting unit when the former returns from injury. Towns had played a similar power forward role in Utah next to Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid.

“…The Knicks believe Robinson can help anchor their interior defense when he returns and can play alongside Towns, who’d slide over to power forward,” Scotto wrote on December 2. “Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is a strong advocate for Robinson and believes he can help the team win in the playoffs. It’s also worth noting that Achiuwa averaged 12.5 points on 52.6 percent shooting, 9.5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.1 steals in 18 starts last season.”

Hypothetical Knicks Trade for Adams

In the aftermath of his report, Katz floated a hypothetical Knicks trade scenario that would see the franchise landing Adams.

Rockets receive: Mitchell Robinson

Knicks receive: Steven Adams, 2026 second-round pick, 2027 second-round pick (via MEM)

Katz explained why the Rockets could benefit tremendously by acquiring the shot-blocking Robinson.

“In this trade, the Knicks hold more leverage due to Robinson being significantly younger. He has more time left in the league, while a 31-year-old Adams could be on the decline soon. Two second-round picks would suffice,” Katz wrote on December 9.

“New York would save $1.7 million in cap space, while the Rockets would get even better defensively. If either team wanted to make the deal bigger, the Knicks and Rockets both have bench pieces whose salaries would match. New York has young players in Ariel Hukporti, Tyler Kolek, and other players with potential, while Houston could be looking to move on from 2023 first-round pick Cam Whitmore, who was recently designated to the Rockets’ G League affiliate.”

Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan