Precious Achiuwa, Heat Reportedly Agree to Contract After Knicks Stint
The Miami Heat are adding to their frontcourt depth.
The Heat and big man Precious Achiuwa agreed to a one-year deal on Wednesday, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
Achiuwa had been with the New York Knicks since they acquired him during the 2023-24 season when they traded RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second-round pick to the Toronto Raptors in a deal that also brought them OG Anunoby and Malachi Flynn.
While injuries largely derailed New York's efforts in the 2024 playoffs, the roster reshuffling still helped it reach the second round and set the stage for an impressive season in 2024-25 that saw it reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
Achiuwa appeared in nine games for the Knicks during that 2024 playoff run and then helped account for Mitchell Robinson's injury concerns during the 2024-25 campaign after re-signing on a one-year, $6 million deal.
That he was playing on an expiring deal this past season meant there was plenty of speculation the Knicks could have moved him ahead of the February trade deadline, but they chose to hold onto him as additional frontcourt depth alongside Karl-Anthony Towns and further insurance for Robinson.
The end result was somewhat of an inconsistent role for Achiuwa on the way to averaging 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game while shooting 50.2 percent from the field.
Still, he was a strong rebounder, including on the offensive side, and was versatile enough to play either the power forward or center position in different lineups for the Knicks.
Yet he barely played in the 2025 postseason after Robinson returned to the lineup.
Ultimately, Achiuwa isn't someone who is going to make or break an offseason for any team, which may be one reason the Knicks didn't re-sign him. Still, he can be a valuable addition for the Heat given his rebounding ability and the depth he provides.
He is also 26 years old and offers some upside moving forward in the coming seasons, which surely played a role in the front office's decision to sign him to this deal.
The addition of Achiuwa gives the Heat more frontcourt depth and versatility. Since the team likes to keep Bam Adebayo and Kel'El Ware on the court together, having another big man who is capable of providing some scoring and decent defense.
Achiuwa is undersized to play against a traditional center, but he has the athleticism and active approach on the defensive end of the court to at least be serviceable for a Heat team trying to reestablish an identity after a disappointing 37-45 finish last season.
