The New York Knicks have opted not to extend a qualifying offer to Precious Achiuwa, making him an unrestricted free agent.
While the Knicks haven’t ruled out bringing back the D’Tigers forward, they have prioritized salary cap flexibility. Achiuwa’s qualifying offer was worth $6.3 million, and the Knicks are already tight on space after acquiring Mikal Bridges in a trade.
This trade further complicates the Knicks’ center situation. They have decisions to make on unrestricted free agent Isaiah Hartenstein and Mitchell Robinson.
Even without a sign-and-trade for Achiuwa, the Knicks’ limited cap space meant not extending the qualifying offer was a smart financial move.
While Achiuwa was a solid contributor, especially defensively, his salary would have eaten into their remaining wiggle room.
Achiuwa provided valuable depth after arriving from the Raptors in December. He backed up Hartenstein and even filled in at power forward. Knicks fans might remember his stellar performance in the playoffs against Embiid, where he played a key role in a crucial Game 4 win.
