Projecting the New York Knicks depth chart after Precious Achiuwa re-signs

The offseason is still fairly young, but the New York Knicks put the finishing touch on their rotation Tuesday afternoon. Precious Achiuwa agreed to a one-year, $6 million contract to return to the franchise, ending speculation about the backup center position following Isaiah Hartenstein's departure for OKC.

Mitchell Robinson will step back into his customary starting gig this season while Achiuwa supplies relief. In 49 games (18 starts) after his trade deadline move to New York, Achiuwa averaged 7.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks on .525/.260/.643 splits in 24.2 minutes. He was mostly filling in for Robinson, who spent the second half of last season recovering from an ankle injury.

He's not without flaws, but Achiuwa at $6 million, with no long-term strings attached, is great value. He's 24 with plenty of upside rooted in a unique athletic profile. Achiuwa is 6-foot-8 with ox-like strength, comfortable switching screens or waging battle in the post. He rebounds at a high level, gets vertical for blocks, and operates with a physicality that is well suited to Tom Thibodeau's principles.

The offense needs work — Achiuwa settles for too many jumpers and can struggle against length at the rim — but he's comfortable enough shooting 3s to command respect, or at the very least some long-term optimism in his jumper. Achiuwa's movement skills for a big, even an undersized big, are undeniably impressive.

He should get consistent burn this season. Here's how the Knicks' depth chart shakes out.

Updated New York Knicks depth chart after re-signing Precious Achiuwa

It's hard to poke holes in the Knicks depth chart. There isn't a deeper 1-8 in the Eastern Conference. New York may struggle to match the top-end talent of the Boston Celtics or Philadelphia 76ers, but Thibs has seven or eight starting-caliber players at his disposal. Josh Hart was logging 48-minute games in the playoffs. Now, he's coming off the bench. Donte DiVincenzo, a clear top-100 player, is also coming off the pine.

Deuce McBride was heroic for stretches during the postseason. He's going to see minutes at both guard spots, offering elite on-ball defense and spark-plug shooting. Tyler Kolek lit up Summer League and Cam Payne was a rotation regular in Philadelphia and Milwaukee last season, so the Knicks aren't wanting for guard depth. DiVincenzo can log on-ball reps in a pinch, too.

The Knicks would probably benefit from another proven wing — Pacome Dadiet isn't going to see the floor as a rookie under Thibs — but Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart will all log healthy minutes (again, Thibs). Bridges has been the most durable star in the league of late, so the Knicks will put his dependability to the test. The Knicks certainly won't lack quality defenders in Brunson's orbit. It will be exceedingly difficult to score on this New York squad.

Achiuwa isn't the same rim protector as Mitchell Robinson, but he allows New York to mix in different coverages and adapt schematically to specific matchups. He's comfortable switching screens and defending away from the basket. Robinson is a truly bonkers athlete, but he's more comfortable Saran-wrapping the paint.

This was not the most exciting move to address Hartenstein's departure — prying Walker Kessler out of Utah would've been a coup — but all the same, Achiuwa helps, and it was smart to bring him back on such a small contract. The Knicks are set up for another successful campaign in 2024-25.