The Knicks’ center situation has become one of the defining stories of their offseason, and the answer still doesn’t look close.
New York spent much of the summer reshaping the middle of the roster after losing Mitchell Robinson to the rival Celtics in free agency and bringing in veteran Andre Drummond to fill that role. But with a little more than two months left before the regular season begins and one roster spot still open, the work isn’t finished. According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Knicks have been “in touch with several free agent centers” as they search for a third big man to add to the rotation.
That sounds active on the surface. But Begley also poured a little cold water on the idea that a deal is imminent, noting that “if they wanted to sign one of these centers on a guaranteed one-year deal, the Knicks would have done so already.”
In other words, the available names on the open market apparently haven’t moved the front office enough to pull the trigger. That could mean the search drags on longer than expected, and it could even push New York toward making an in-season trade if it wants more insurance behind its current center options. The downside there is obvious: any upgrade could come at a real cost, possibly including one of the team’s more popular pieces.
At the same time, the Knicks are also dealing with a much bigger financial question around the position they already have. Karl-Anthony Towns is eligible for a new multi-year extension that could be worth as much as $272 million.
Towns is coming off a season in which he played a major part in helping the Knicks win their first championship since 1973, so the value is easy to see. But owner James Dolan has made it clear this summer that he does not want to go beyond the second-apron anytime soon, and a max extension for Towns would almost certainly push the team into that territory.
Because of that, the expectation around the league is that if Towns and the Knicks are going to stay together, some kind of compromise will have to be reached. Some have even suggested Towns should accept less than the max.
Both sides have until the day before opening night to get something done.
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For Knicks fans, it is the kind of connection that lingers after a championship run, especially when the players involved helped define the team's edge on both ends of the floor. Robinson brought the rebounding and rim protection that made him such a force, while Hart carved out his value with the energy and versatility that translated so well in New York and continues to matter with his new team. [Read more 🡒]
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If New York lets the date pass, the path to a new deal gets more complicated, and the ripple effects could reach beyond just McBrides next paycheck. The front office has to weigh not only what he means on the floor, but also how an extension might shape his trade value and what kind of long-term leverage the Knicks want to preserve around a player who has become part of the teams larger planning. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks May Regret This Lakers Salary Dump Sooner Than Expected
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Carr now lands in a Lakers situation where opportunity is never guaranteed, even for a first-round pick. One anonymous Lakers executive suggested the rookie will have to earn his minutes, but the larger question for the Knicks is whether this was the kind of asset dump that becomes harder to defend if Carr keeps building on the momentum he created this spring and summer. [Read more 🡒]