The New York Knicks are finalizing a deal to send young center Willy Hernangomez to the Charlotte Hornets, as first reported by Yahoo Sports’ Shams Charania.
New York is expected to get Johnny O’Bryant and two second-round draft picks in return.
The Knicks are in the process of losing another member of its frontcourt just hours after Kristaps Porzingis’ season ended due to a torn ACL.
His injury could have opened up playing time for Hernangomez, who has been stapled to the bench for most of the season.
After showing flashes of becoming a productive center in the league last season, averaging 8.2 points and seven rebounds per game in just over 18 minutes per night, Hernangomez lost the starting job after the Knicks acquired Enes Kanter in the Carmelo Anthony trade.
With Kyle O’Quinn being used as Kanter’s main backup, Hernangomez has appeared in just 26 of the team’s first 55 games while averaging just nine minutes with 4.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. Those numbers are almost identical to O’Bryant’s numbers as he’s averaging 4.8 points and 2.6 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per outing.
But at 23 years old, Hernangomez’s upside made him an attractive target on the trade market as multiple teams inquired about his availability, leading his representation to ask for a trade yesterday.
