Projecting Landing Spots for Knicks' Top Free Agents | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

It'd be a disservice to describe Precious Achiuwa as a throw-in to the late December deal that brought OG Anunoby to town. It's probably accurate, though, to detail Achiuwa's principal purpose in that exchange as making the money work.

The 24-year-old has mostly been a rotation regular across his first four NBA seasons, but he hasn't dropped a ton of hints at potentially rising above that role down the line. Saying that, though, it's worth noting that some of his best flashes to date came with the Blue and Orange.

Achiuwa's numbers are up since getting to Gotham, and that isn't solely due to the fact he was pressed into a larger role than anticipated to help cover up some injury issues along the front line. He upped his interior activity as an offensive rebounder, finisher and shot-blocker while proving his worth as an all-purpose defender.

Between his age, established ability and growth potential, the Knicks will have reasons to want him back. Then again, others will have those same incentives to pursue him, and they could really test New York's resolve by putting a healthy offer sheet in front of him. It's possible the Knicks wind up viewing him as the most cost-efficient option among their interior free agents, but if inks an early offer, New York might have to let him walk in order to keep the financial books as clean as possible for their other, higher-priority free agents.