Rumored New York Knicks trade target Alperen Sengun isn't likely to be moved this offseason.
After running out of gas - or healthy players - in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, falling one game short of their first conference finals appearance in more than two decades, the New York Knicks entered the offseason with a chip on its shoulder. Instead of standing pat and being satisfied, the Knicks have been one of the most aggressive teams in the Eastern Conference. The big move for the Knicks this summer was completing a huge blockbuster deal for Mikal Bridges, a player who could end up being the missing piece for the team on the wing.
In addition, the Knicks also locked up Jalen Brunson for the foreseeable future, re-signed OG Anunoby, and added a couple more potential rotation players via the NBA Draft and minimum salaries in free agency. And the Knicks may not be done.
Losing Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency to the Oklahoma City Thunder, there's a belief that the Knicks could be in the market for his potential replacement. A recent report linked the Knicks to a myriad of centers, including Houston Rockets' young big Alperen Sengun.
However, according to Rockets general manager Rafael Stone, it's pretty safe to cross him off the list of potential centers that New York could trade for. In Stone's words, Sengun will not be traded this offseason.
"“Alpie’s gonna be with us next year. We get calls on all our young guys…We have no interest in moving him” "Rockets general manager Rafael Stone
It was always a long shot for the Knicks to land Alperen Sengun
This is not all that surprising. In fact, you can make the argument that it wouldn't been a huge shocker if the Rockets had traded Sengun this offseason. For as badly as they want to make a splash move in an attempt to make a move up the Western Conference standings, I don't think trading Sengun is the move for Houston.
Even if the off chance that the Rockets would've traded Sengun, it would've been difficult for the Knicks to find the right pieces to trade back to Houston. If the Rockets were to trade Sengun, it would likely be in exchange for an All-Star-level talent in the frontcourt. Unless the Rockets were unbelievably high on Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson, a trade between the two teams didn't make much sense.
Nevertheless, it's pretty safe to cross Sengun off the list of potential centers the Knicks could target this offseason to replace Hartenstein.