Even though the Knicks extended Precious Achiuwa and signed Jericho Sims into the final year of his contract, they haven't found a replacement for Isaiah Hartenstein. Sure, Mitchell Robinson is still there, and Julius Randle can fill in at the 5, but Hartenstein leaves a void in the paint.
This is why the managers tried interiors without a contract, and Marc Stein reports that Omer Yurtseven was one of the players the Knicks saw. After a surprising rookie season with the Heat, the Israeli center failed to follow up, and last season he averaged 4.6 points and 4.3 rebounds with the Jazz.
Utah too greedy for Walker Kessler
A priori, Yurtseven has not convinced the Knicks, and he would be expected on the Panathinaikos side to support Matthias Lessort in the paint and try to win the Euroleague double with the Greek club. Ironically, the Knicks had also approached the Frenchman, whose rights they hold in the NBA.
Another avenue the Knicks are considering, and it still leads to Utah, is Walker Kessler. The former Team USA center's stock has dropped, but he finished second in the NBA's top blocker rankings, behind Victor Wembanyama. He's only 23, and we know that centers tend to show up late. The problem for the Knicks, and the other franchises that have approached the Jazz, is that the management is very greedy. Even offers with two first-round draft picks haven't made them give in.
| Omer Yurtseven | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2021-22 | MIA | 56 | 13 | 52.6 | 9.1 | 62.3 | 1.5 | 3.7 | 5.3 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 5.3 |
| 2022-23 | MIA | 9 | 9 | 59.3 | 42.9 | 83.3 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 4.4 |
| 2023-24 | UTH | 48 | 11 | 53.8 | 20.8 | 67.9 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 4.3 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 4.6 |
| Total | 113 | 12 | 53.5 | 21.4 | 65.3 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 4.7 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 5.0 | |
How to read the stats? GM = Games Played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots Made / Shots Attempted; 3pts = 3-pointers / 3-pointers Attempted; LF = Free Throws Made / Free Throws Attempted; Off = Offensive Rebound; Def = Defensive Rebound; Tot = Total Rebounds; Pd = Assists; Fte: Personal Fouls; Int = Steals; Bp = Loose Balls; Ct: Blocks; Pts = Points.
