Knicks writer against NY trading Precious Achiuwa for ex-Boston Celtics big man

Daily Knicks' Jordanna Clark is against the idea of Leon Rose trading the recently re-signed Precious Achiuwa for former Boston Celtics center and current Portland Trail Blazers reserve Robert Williams III by the February trade deadline.

"If the Knicks overpay Achiuwa and flip him for a true center before the deadline, Williams isn't someone they should consider," Clark wrote. "The most games he's played in a season is 61 (2021-22). Outside of that, he's hit the 50-game mark once.

"Even if Williams has a strong first half of the season, there's no guarantee he'll make it through the postseason. New York would be better off keeping Robinson and Achiuwa."

Williams' reputation has cratered since he left the Celtics, though his 2022-23 season started the downfall. Joe Mazzulla benched him after The Time Lord was the anchor of Ime Udoka's top-ranked defense, and he only played 35 games during the regular season. He was stellar during the postseason, but the C's downfall in the Eastern Conference Finals made it hard to remember that.

NY Knicks not a threat to the Boston Celtics unless center position is addressed

The Knicks sold the farm for Mikal Bridges this offseason, but that doesn't immediately make them a threat to the Cs. The only thing that would would be figuring out their 5 spot.

Mitchell Robinson is as injury prone as Williams is, and with Isaiah Hartenstein on the OKC Thunder, NY is without its best pivot fit with Jalen Brunson and the rest of the Knicks starters. Achiuwa is a serviceable option on most nights, but he's a poor matchup with Kristaps Porzingis due to his relative lack of size for a center.

NY made a ton of progress in the offseason, but we're talking about knocking off one of the most dominant teams of all time in Boston.

It's going to take more than just Bridges to get past the Celtics juggernaut.