The Knicks are in a spot where the usual rules don’t quite apply.
New York appears willing to open the season with Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond as its only big men, which turns the 14th roster spot into a real opportunity rather than a simple depth move. And if the Hawks are forced to trim another name, Mo Gueye suddenly looks like the kind of buy-low swing the Knicks should be ready to make.
Atlanta already said goodbye to Devin Carter, but it still has to get down to 15 roster spots. If the Hawks don’t want to pay a team to take on Buddy Hield’s or Corey Kispert’s contracts, then Gueye, No. 52 pick Henri Veesar, and the newly acquired Ryan Nembhard are the likeliest cuts.
Among that group, Gueye is the most appealing player. Even if Hield and Kispert are included, they make too much money to simply waive.
The catch is health. Gueye fractured his left foot in July and is recovering from surgery, which could keep him out to start the season.
That absence may be enough to cost him his place on the roster. Atlanta also has two other combo bigs in Asa Newell and Zuby Ejiofor, both first-round picks in each of the past two drafts, and Veesar already has his 2026-27 salary guaranteed.
Under normal circumstances, that injury would probably take Gueye off the Knicks’ board. But these aren’t normal circumstances.
Gueye brings real rotation value. He gives you more defensive mobility and more quickness around the rim than Drummond, and while he isn’t as strong on the glass, he finished better at the basket last season, hitting 71 percent of his shots, and he has at least dipped into the three-point game. He also has the kind of defensive versatility that makes him workable next to Towns, something Drummond can’t really claim.
Last season, five of Gueye’s seven highest-volume assignments were at power forward or on wings. He has also never finished lower than the 92nd percentile in combined charges drawn, steals, and blocks recovered.
The price tag helps, too. Gueye is on the books for just $2.4 million, and if Atlanta decides to trade him rather than waive him, the Knicks are in position to handle that as well.
Still, New York does not sound panicked about its frontcourt situation. In a recent SNY mailbag, Ian Begley wrote, “The Knicks do not currently have a third center,” but added, “there is a strong degree of confidence internally in the Karl-Anthony Towns-Andre Drummond duo at the position.”
That matters because it softens the urgency around Gueye’s injury. If the Knicks are comfortable running with two centers for now, then the fact that he may not be ready for opening night is less of a deal-breaker.
There is a practical limit to that patience, though. New York won’t want to lean too heavily on OG Anunoby, Mohamed Diawara, or Josh Hart in small-ball-center spots that don’t fit Drummond’s game. And the front office could decide it wants the 14th roster spot filled by someone who can step in immediately.
But this is still the 14th roster spot. Whoever gets it, whether it’s Bruce Brown, Cam Whitmore, Drew Eubanks, Tony Bradley, John Konchar, or somebody else, the expectations are going to be minimal.
Gueye is different from that group. If the Knicks believe his injury isn’t season-ending, they have enough depth to wait.
Even if Towns plays 30 minutes per game, Drummond’s 19.5 minutes last season would cover a big chunk of the center workload, and Mike Brown can always reach for small-ball in short bursts when needed. In that kind of setup, Gueye becomes a lot more than just a flier.
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