Crafting a Knicks-Wizards trade to give NY the backup big they need

The New York Knicks near-perfect offseason was tainted by one critical loss. Isaiah Hartenstein left for the Oklahoma City Thunder, inking a $29 million annual contract that the Knicks simply were not able to match due to financial restrictions under the CBA. There was nothing the Knicks could've done. Hartenstein had the option to return on a discount, but he opted to pursure more money (and arguably a better chance at winning) in OKC.

Such is life.

Without Hartenstein in the middle, New York's defense takes a hit. Mitchell Robinson is expected to step back into the starting five spot and he's an excellent rim protector in his own right, with immense upside tied to his nuclear athleticism. Unfortunately, injuries have been a common theme in Robinson's career to date.

Precious Achiuwa, recently inked to a one-year, $6 million contract, serves as a rock-solid backup. There are defensive concerns with Achiuwa, though, and he should not be relied upon as an anchor if the Knicks run into injury problems. The Knicks need one more proper 7-footer to hold down the fort.

Free agent options at center have mostly dried up, so New York will need to look to the trade market. Walker Kessler and Clint Capela are among the names connected to New York in various reports, but neither appears particularly likely at this stage.

It could take until closer to the trade deadline for New York to find a solution. One obvious target, as reported by Heavy's Sean Deveney, is Washington Wizards big man Jonas Valanciunas.

The Wizards are expected to trade Valanciunas eventually. The Lithuanian 7-footer inked a three-year, $30 million contract in the early stages of free agency. After getting squeezed for minutes in New Orleans, he gets a chance to build up serious value in a major role for the rebuilding Wizards. He figures to start next to No. 2 pick Alex Sarr in the frontcourt, offering useful physicality and rim protection as Sarr tests the NBA waters for the first time.

It's not uncommon for bad teams to sign veteran "mentors," then flip them for future assets at the trade deadline. New York could take advantage of Valanciunas' perceived availability once he's trade eligible closer to the Feb. 6 cutoff date.

Knicks-Wizards trade to plant Jonas Valanciunas behind Mitchell Robinson on depth chart

The Knicks are limited in terms of financial flexibility. There's no way to engineer this trade without involving Precious Achiuwa, unless the Knicks want to find an avenue to dumping Julius Randle's contract. Jericho Sims remains in New York as the third-string center, a role he is more than capable of fulfilling. Valanciunas takes on backup center duties with a chance to earn a spot in the starting lineup, depending on how Robinson's season progresses.

Valanciunas is an excellent fill-in for Hartenstein. He won't provide close to the same value on defense, but he's a dominant force on the glass. Valanciunas' blunt-force physicality makes him well suited to Tom Thibodeau. In addition to rebounding and solid shot-blocking, Valanciunas is going to set monster screens and finish with deft touch around the basket. That is where he can most replicate what the Knicks lost in Hartenstein — the strong finishes, nifty floaters, and short roll passing.

Relative to the ballooning cap space, Valanciunas' contract is a steal, even if the length is a slight deterrent for some teams. The Knicks lock up a valuable role player below the mid-level exception and help insulate their biggest position of weakness. It's hard to complain about this trade from New York's perspective.

The Wizards, meanwhile, take a chance on the 24-year-old Achiuwa. There is some uncomfortable offensive overlap (the shot charts aren't great) between Achiuwa and Sarr, but the combined youth and athleticism is worth a shot. Cam Payne is a serviceable bench guard, while Keita Bates-Diop provides shooting and defense on the wing.

Washington reportedly covets a first-round pick in return for Valanciunas, but it's too far out to know what exactly the market will be. If the Wizards recoup enough collective value on the player front, perhaps a handful of second-round picks will be enough. The Knicks aren't exactly flush with movable first-round picks after the Mikal Bridges trade.

If Valanciunas dazzles in Washington and the trade price surges, the Knicks are probably out of the running. Assuming there isn't a full-on bidding war for a 32-year-old, drop coverage big man with a three-year contract, however, the Knicks should be able to work something out when the time comes.