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The New York Knicks have assembled a great collection of talent, and anything short of a run to the 2025 NBA Finals may be looked at as a disappointment.
Two weeks ago, the Knicks continued to go all-in, this time pulling off a trade with the crosstown rival Brooklyn Nets for Mikal Bridges, assembling the so-called Villanova Knicks and stacking up on quality 3-and-D wings to deal with the likes of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown of the reigning champion Boston Celtics.
However, bringing Bridges in came at the huge cost of five first-round picks, a pick swap, and a second-round pick. Moreover, the Knicks' decision to trade for Bridges made it all the more difficult for them to keep Isaiah Hartenstein, the man who stepped up for them at the center position amid Mitchell Robinson's injury woes.
Thus, it did not come as a surprise to see the Knicks be linked to a potential trade for third-year center Walker Kessler, who had a reduced role with the Utah Jazz this past season.
Alas, the Knicks may not have the assets to pull off a trade for Kessler. According to Ian Begley of SNY, the Jazz are looking for “at least a first-round pick” in exchange for Kessler.
While that price in and of itself is not too prohibitive, Begley said that, “that’s going to be a tough price for the Knicks to meet or match,” especially when they're out a plethora of first-round picks in the aftermath of the Mikal Bridges trade.
The Knicks cannot trade their 2026 and 2030 first-round picks (they can only trade a swap), and it's unclear just how much value the protected Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards picks they own have.
While the Pistons and Wizards are the two worst teams in the Association this past season, which makes it likely for them to remain bad next season, their picks are protected from 1-10 and 1-13 respectively, for 2025. In 2026, the Pistons pick will only be protected from 1-11, while the Wizards pick will be protected from 1-8.
If the Wizards pick doesn't convey by 2026, it will turn into two second-rounders. Meanwhile, the Pistons pick is protected until 2027 (1-9), and if it doesn't convey, it will turn into one second-round pick.
No one can predict the future. The Pistons and Wizards could end up being good enough for those picks to convey to the Knicks. But the Knicks will need those potential first-round picks as well to supplement the team as their core becomes more and more expensive to keep.
Walker Kessler is only 22 years of age, and he has proven, at least, that he has a long-term NBA future — which is worth giving up a potential late lottery pick. But the Jazz may want to get a pick that's guaranteed to land in the first round, and the Pistons and Wizards lend no such confidence.
Walker Kessler, nothing but a pipe dream for the Knicks
With Isaiah Hartenstein departing for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Knicks are that much thinner at the center position. Sure, they still have Mitchell Robinson on the roster, but the team only has Jericho Sims as an insurance option for now.
Given Robinson's injury history, the Knicks' backup center may have to brace himself for a larger-than-expected role. Sims may not be ready for that.
Sims does not have the mobility, defensive instincts, and rebounding acumen of Hartenstein, and he played nothing but garbage time for the final month or two of the 2023-24 season. The Knicks could bring back Precious Achiuwa, and he, at least, has earned a greater sense of trust from head coach Tom Thibodeau.
However, Achiuwa is a bit undersized for a center. The Knicks clearly prefer someone with more rim-protection skills than Achiuwa, hence their interest in Walker Kessler. But acquiring the Jazz center appears to be nothing more than a pipe dream.
Kessler, of course, endured a bit of a down 2023-24 season. He started fewer games last season than he did in his rookie campaign, his field-goal percentage went down by 66 percentage points, and Jazz head coach Will Hardy didn't seem to trust him too much.
Still, the Jazz are embracing youth, so it seems a bit counterintuitive for them to trade away a 22-year-old center who's shown that he can be one of the best shot-blockers in the Association. He's only set to make around $7.8 million over the next two seasons, so for his shot-blocking production at that low of a cost, he will indeed command a pretty penny on the trade market.
