Hornets should capitalize on Knicks desperate search for a trade

The Charlotte Hornets don’t need to do anything else this summer. They’ve done enough. And now, they are poised to head into next season with a promising young squad. The New York Knicks cannot say the same.

Well, they can’t say the same in the sense that they still have more to do. Obviously, the Knicks have a great team and will be looking to contend in the East this year, but they have a massive hole at center.

Isaiah Hartenstein bounced from New York, signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency. Now, the Knicks are left with an injury-prone Mitchell Robinson and a young Jericho Sims.

Based on reports that have been trickling out, the Knicks are somewhat desperate to fill the hole at center, as they have been linked to some different guys who could hit the trade market.

Hornets should capitalize on Knicks desperate need for a center with Nick Richards trade

The Knicks have supposedly checked in on Atlanta Hawks big man Clint Capela and Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler in hopes of filling the void that Hartenstein left.

But the Hornets have also come up in those conversations, as there were rumors that the Knicks showed some level of interest in a potential trade for Nick Richards.

That should definitely be something the Hornets are interested in.

Richards is a fine player. If the Hornets choose to keep him around, he would be a solid backup for Mark Williams. But they don’t necessarily need Richards, and they could get some nice assets from New York.

Who knows how much the Knicks would be willing to pony up in a trade, but if they get even more desperate, landing a first-round pick for Richards would be a huge win for the Hornets.

Obviously, that would then leave the Hornets very thin at center, but they could figure that out later. Taj Gibson might have to step in and play a few minutes.

The point is that the Knicks are desperate right now. And desperate teams make eager bidders. The Hornets should be trying to capitalize on that with Richards as their bargaining chip.

He would be a nice backup for Robinson in New York as they embark on their quest to take down the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference.