The Knicks may have two open roster spots on paper, but if the second apron is truly being treated like a hard cap, there’s only room for one more veteran-minimum deal. And if that’s the reality, the biggest need is obvious: a center.
Right now, New York has Andre Drummond backing up Karl-Anthony Towns, which leaves the frontcourt looking thin. Towns has led the league in offensive fouls for three straight seasons, and he and Drummond are 30 and 33 years old, respectively. Unless the Knicks are serious about using OG Anunoby as a small-ball center in the regular season, they need another big in the mix.
Brown has suggested Anunoby could get a look under the rim, but he’s also been much more direct about the need for size. The Knicks brought Drew Eubanks and James Wiseman into training camp, and after things mutually fell through with John Konchar, Tony Bradley was added as well. SNY’s Ian Begley said Eubanks is the “safest” option, but New York may want to swing a little bigger than that.
Begley said on SNY’s The Putback that it wouldn’t be a total surprise if the Knicks ended up with Wiseman, though Eubanks’ experience makes him the more obvious pick if the team stays conservative.
That experience is the part that puts Eubanks ahead, but it’s worth asking how much “safe” really helps here. The 29-year-old had the best defensive season of his career in 2023-24 with the Phoenix Suns, and he finished in the NBA’s 60th percentile of Estimated Defensive Plus-Minus that year. Still, Dunks & Threes had his D-EPM in the sixth and 11th percentiles over the last two seasons.
This isn’t a group of elite rim protectors, and the Knicks are asking unsigned veterans to fight for a spot at a time when that pitch probably isn’t all that appealing. New York is also clearly trying not to depend too heavily on whoever lands that final job, which makes the sell even tougher for Leon Rose’s front office.
If the Knicks keep treating the second apron like a hard cap, though, leaning only on the “safer” route could be exactly how they get passed by. Wiseman has never posted a strong D-EPM number himself, but he’s only 25.
Bradley could also end up being the answer, giving the Knicks a little more youth than Eubanks and more NBA experience than Wiseman. Even so, the most likely outcome may be that New York has to keep looking for help somewhere else, no matter who gets the nod.
If the idea is simply to bring in a center for a few months and then revisit the market later, betting on youth might make the most sense. And if the “safer” names were still out there unsigned this late in the offseason, that tells you plenty about how much certainty they really bring.
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What stood out most was the gap in how the two teams handled the perimeter game, with Minnesota finding a rhythm that New York could not match. The Timberwolves got strong production from Anthony Edwards, who set the tone throughout the night, and the Knicks never quite found a way to answer as the margin widened. At this point, the frustration is less about one preseason loss and more about how quickly an early-season issue can start to feel like a trend. [Read more 🡒]
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For players trying to hang onto a role, the pressure is starting to sharpen. Landry Shamet and Mohamed Diawara had quieter nights, and several others either flashed a little progress or ran into the same old issue of inefficient shooting. In a preseason stretch like this, the Knicks are not just looking for talent, but for who can fit cleanly around the established core when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Banner Night Could Reignite A Debate Fans Already Feel
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What remains unsettled is how much of that success will get permanent recognition in the rafters. The team has not said whether banners for the NBA Cup or the East crown will join the championship banner, even though owner James Dolan had previously signaled the club would honor the league title rather than the in-season tournament win. So when the lights come up on Oct. 20, part of the conversation may be less about the opponent than about exactly how many new banners are on display. [Read more 🡒]