Mike Brown didn’t hide the reality facing the Knicks when he floated the idea of OG Anunoby at center.
That was one of the most striking takeaways from New York’s 2026-27 media day, where the head coach talked about the team’s championship run, Karl-Anthony Towns’ growth as a playmaker, and his desire to lean more on both Anunoby and Mikal Bridges as pick-and-roll creators. Brown also discussed the possibility of using Anunoby at the five, according to SNY, a move that would be tied directly to the loss of Mitchell Robinson from the second unit.
The front office brought in Andre Drummond to fill the backup-big role, and he is one of the better free agent options available. But Brown’s comments made clear that the Knicks’ budget situation is shaping the basketball decisions as much as anything else. The second apron keeps squeezing the roster, and with no third-string center in place, New York is already looking at contingency plans.
That doesn’t mean Anunoby at center is the everyday answer. In fact, it probably shouldn’t be.
If the Knicks can get through the season with Towns starting and Drummond backing him up, that’s the cleanest path. But the league rarely cooperates that neatly, and Brown has reasons to be thinking ahead before preseason even begins.
Drummond missed 19 games with the Philadelphia 76ers last season, and he missed 42 the year before in his final season with the Chicago Bulls. Towns has also led the entire NBA in offensive fouls for three straight seasons. Put those pieces together, and Brown’s willingness to discuss emergency options starts to make sense.
Anunoby brings toughness, skill, and persistence, and his timely Game 4 tip-in showed exactly that. Still, his injury history - even during his time in New York - makes any plan to park him in the paint feel risky if it becomes more than a spot solution.
The larger issue is the Knicks’ financial lane. The days of Mikal Bridges’ team-friendly salary and the descending contracts of Robinson and Jalen Brunson are gone. New York is among the 28 NBA teams trying to avoid the second apron and the penalties that come with it, but that approach leaves holes, and those holes will keep showing up.
At some point, the Knicks may have to push past that threshold.
Doing so wouldn’t lock them in forever. If the team is going to extend Towns, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride, then Governor James Dolan may need to get comfortable with the tax bill. A brief stay above the second apron could position New York for sustained success over the next several years, and that may be worth the financial hit.
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Brown said he trusts Leon Rose and McBrides representatives to sort through the details, while also acknowledging he does not really understand how the cap works. It is a familiar divide for a contender trying to keep its core intact: the front office handles the math, the coaches manage the basketball, and for now the Knicks are left hoping the two sides line up before the situation gets any more complicated. [Read more 🡒]