Knicks Center Safe From Trade Talks

New York Knicks center Ariel Hukporti's roster spot is one of the loosest on the team, leading to the potential of him getting dealt by the start of the season.

While it makes sense for the Knicks to trade Hukporti to free up a roster spot for another player, the team appears unlikely to move him at this time.

"Hukporti is a bit older for a second-year player in today’s game," The Athletic insider James Edwards III wrote. He’ll be 24 by the end of this season and has already dealt with multiple knee injuries."

"The center showed some flashes — good motor and length — in his very limited time last year, and it’s fair to say former Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau had the most trust in Hukporti of all the young guys."

"However, in talking to some teams around the NBA, there just doesn’t appear to be much, if any, trade value there right now."

NBA New York Knicks center Ariel Hukporti | John Jones-Imagn Images

Hukporti had value last season with Mitchell Robinson hurt, but that is no longer the case with him healthy. The Knicks could start both Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns, which would help Hukporti's chances of getting minutes, but it seems unlikely at this point in time.

The Knicks could benefit from making a trade with several players on non-guaranteed deals that they want to keep for the season, but there isn't a lot of chatter about Hukporti in potential trades. This could change if a team picks up a center injury, but Hukporti's job with the Knicks appears safe for now.

Hukporti is set to hit free agency at the end of the season, but his contract becomes fully guaranteed on Jan. 10, so the Knicks are expected to keep him until that date. The Knicks will try to find a trade before then, but signs point to him staying on board.

The problem facing the Knicks is the team won't be able to keep Hukporti and other players like Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet, so they are going to have to make a change at some point.

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