Before the New York Knicks ultimately re-signed Precious Achiuwa, they attempted to exercise the NBA draft rights of French Olympic breakout star center Mathias Lessort, according to Ian Begley of SNY.
“New York explored Lessort’s interest in signing, but the player and team couldn’t reach an agreement,” Begley wrote in his SNY mailbag on August 8, ahead of the gold medal match between Team USA and France.
The 6-foot-9 Lessort was instrumental in France’s journey to the gold medal game. He contributed 13 points, five rebounds, and one block against Canada in the quarterfinals, and followed up with 10 points, four rebounds, one steal, and one block against Germany in the semifinals.
The 28-year-old Lessort averaged 7.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in just 13.6 minutes off the bench as France’s Sixth Man.
Before his standout performance with Les Bleus, Lessort was coming off a title run and a EuroLeague First Team selection.
Lessort helped Panathinaikos secure its seventh EuroLeague title, scoring 17 points and grabbing six rebounds in the Finals against Real Madrid. He is set to return to Panathinaikos for the final year of his current contract.
The French big man was the 50th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. His draft rights changed hands twice before eventually landing with the Knicks.
In 2019, Lessort’s draft rights were traded to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the four-team deal that sent Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat. On the eve of the 2020 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired his rights in the Daniel Oturu trade. Later that night, the Knicks acquired Lessort’s rights as a part of the trade that also brought in Immanuel Quickley.
Knicks Gain Flexibility in Precious Achiuwa’s One-Year Deal
Unable to bring Lessort to the NBA, the Knicks re-signed Achiuwa to a one-year deal worth $6 million, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
By waiving his Bird rights, Achiuwa secured more than the veteran minimum, giving the Knicks the flexibility to trade him at the deadline. He becomes eligible for a trade on December 15.
By packaging Achiuwa’s $6 million salary with Miles McBride’s $4.7 million or whoever the Knicks sign with their $5.2 million taxpayer midlevel exception, the team could potentially acquire a player in the $11 to $12 million range.
Possible veteran centers in that salary bracket include Mo Wagner from the Orlando Magic ($11 million), Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers ($11.7 million), Robert Williams III from the Portland Trail Blazers ($12.4 million), Steven Adams from the Houston Rockets ($12.6 million), and Larry Nance Jr. from the Atlanta Hawks ($11 million).
Achiuwa, 24, played 49 games last season, including 18 starts, and averaged 7.6 points on 52.5% shooting, along with 7.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 24.2 minutes. During the Knicks’ playoff run, he contributed 5.2 points on 48.8% shooting, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 20.5 minutes over nine games.
Larry Nance Jr. Is Potential Knicks Trade Target: Former NBA Exec
Larry Nance Jr. is considered a feasible trade option for the New York Knicks, according to John Hollinger from The Athletic, who has prior experience with ESPN and as the vice president of basketball operations for the Memphis Grizzlies.
“On a smaller scale, a player who could fit well in a backup role behind Mitchell Robinson and is likely available is Larry Nance Jr. Currently, he’s the third center on the depth chart for Atlanta and has an affordable $11 million expiring contract,” Hollinger shared with Fred Katz of The Athletic on August 5.
Nance, who initially signed a two-year, $21.6 million extension with the New Orleans Pelicans last year, was traded to the Hawks this offseason as part of the deal for Dejounte Murray.
Standing at 6-foot-8, Nance averaged 5.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.0 steals in 19.9 minutes across 61 games off the bench for the Pelicans last season. He also achieved a career-high 41.5% from three-point range, though he only attempted 1.1 shots per game.
Nance, now 31, was selected 27th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2015 and previously played alongside Knicks All-Star forward Julius Randle and Josh Hart during his time with the Lakers.
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