The New York Knicks are preparing for what is going to be a big 2024-25 season. Their intentions to win it all was clear as day when they sent an absurd amount of picks to get Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets.
The Villanova connection between Bridges and the rest of the Knicks core will be instrumental in the team’s success in the regular season and the playoffs, and fans are hoping it all pans out in the end after losing Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency.
The big man was a key contributor to the team’s offensive and defensive game plan, and losing him would be a great pain. While the big man explained that the move away from the Big Apple was one of the toughest decisions he made in his basketball career, it still cannot be denied that he chose to move away from New York.
His absence leaves a gaping hole in the Knicks’ rotation, and they’re trying to address that through trades. One of their targets is Utah Jazz’s Walker Kessler, but the Charlotte Hornets have an interesting big man that might fit in with the team’s current structure.
New York Knicks to make a move on Charlotte Hornets C Nick Richards, per rumors
According to Posting & Toasting’s Antonio Losada, the Knicks are highly interested in assessing whether Nick Richards would be reasonable enough to acquire via trade.
The Kentucky product has shown steady development as an NBA center and offers terrific interior defense, which is something the Knicks badly need.
Losada also noted the two biggest reasons why the Knicks are keen on getting the Jamaican big:
The Hornets put Richards in their starting lineup in 51 of the 67 games he played for the franchise last season after the big boy only started nine games the year prior.
Richards has two years remaining on his three-year, $15 million contract. He has back-to-back cap hits of $5 million next season and in 2025-26.
The increased minutes show how much Richards has improved as a player, and the stats show that as well. He averaged 9.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks in 67 games for the Hornets last season.
With such a small-scale contract, the Knicks can probably get away with sending one player and a couple of second-rounders to the Hornets to get him. Should he join the Knicks, he will become a key defensive anchor for a team with his postseason aspirations.
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