The Knicks had been content to wait on the center market, but that patience may not hold much longer.
On Friday, Phoenix starting center Mark Williams was revealed to have suffered a torn labrum and required surgery, with an update saying there is no timeline being given on how long Mark Williams will be out and that “we should expect at least 5 months recovering from shoulder surgery.” The injury is a major setback for the Suns, who lose their reigning rebounds leader at 8.0 per game. He was also the only Phoenix player to average more than 5.1 boards last season.
That kind of absence changes the market fast. With the 7-foot-1 Williams expected to miss most of the season, the Suns now need size and depth in a hurry, and that could put them in direct competition with New York for the same available big men.
For the Knicks, the slow play had made sense. The center group on the board has been imperfect either way, whether the team chooses an older veteran or a younger player still trying to prove himself. So New York had every reason to wait, keep its flexibility, and see what options surfaced before opening night.
Now Phoenix’s injury situation complicates that plan.
The Suns entering the center hunt creates a new problem for the Knicks, because free agents who were already on the board suddenly have another team to consider. New York has reportedly been looking at the veteran route in recent days, including the possibility of a training camp battle, but those same players may now have a clearer path to minutes in Phoenix than they would behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond.
The younger names are in play too. Hunter Dickinson, Julian Reese, and Summer League standout Liam Robbins have all become available in recent days, giving New York some appealing options for its three open two-way spots. But Phoenix needs cheaper depth as well, and that means those players could be on the Suns’ radar too.
That leaves Rose in a tougher spot. He can’t just sit back and wait for the market to sort itself out anymore. If there’s a player out there he wants, the Knicks may need to move now before Phoenix does.
There’s still a case for New York’s pitch. The Suns can offer a clearer immediate role, especially with Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro still getting their NBA feet under them. That opens the door for an outside addition to climb the depth chart.
But the Knicks have their own selling points. Even if there aren’t many minutes available behind Towns and Drummond, a free agent could still see a path to rotation time, and Drummond is on a one-year deal and far from untouchable. On top of that, there’s the appeal of joining the defending champs and taking on a needed role in New York, where the career upside is obvious after the team’s title win.
Phoenix may be a playoff team, but the source of the advantage is clear: the Knicks should be at the top of a free agent’s list. The question is whether that’s enough if the Suns come in with a better role and a faster offer.
With camp getting closer, this feels like the kind of development that could finally push New York into action.
In Other News...
Knicks Still Have One Clear Roster Need Before Camp Opens
The Knicks spent the summer reshaping the front of their roster, but one quiet need remains as camp approaches: a third center. With Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond set to anchor the rotation, New York is still thin behind them after Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti departed in free agency, leaving the club looking for another big man who can give the staff some peace of mind at the start of the season.
Leon Rose and the front office have been surveying the market for veterans who can fill that gap without changing the teams bigger plans. Tony Bradley has been on the radar, and Drew Eubanks is another name in the mix as the Knicks weigh whether to add depth now or keep flexibility for later in the season. Another move could always come before the trade deadline, but for the moment, center remains the clearest unfinished item on the board. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Still Have One Painful Carmelo Trade What If
Danilo Gallinari is back in the conversation whenever the Knicks revisit the Carmelo Anthony era, because his path is one of the clearest reminders of what New York gave up to get the star it had chased for years. Drafted by the Knicks in 2008, Gallinari spent parts of three seasons in New York before he was included in the deal that brought Anthony to Madison Square Garden during the 2010-11 season, a move that instantly reshaped the roster and the franchises direction.
The lingering what if is less about whether Anthony fit and more about how different the Knicks might have looked if they had reached him another way. Had New York been able to sign him outright, the team might have kept Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton and Timofey Mozgov, leaving it with more depth and balance around its centerpiece. It also could have changed some of the collateral damage from the trade, including the roster decisions that followed, which still make that deal one of the more painful exercises in hindsight for Knicks fans. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Still Have A Ben Simmons Option They May Need Later
Ben Simmons has landed with the Sacramento Kings on a one-year deal that could pay him up to $3.5 million, and the arrangement gives him a real chance to re-establish himself after a long stretch of uncertainty. For the Knicks, it is another reminder that their search for help in the frontcourt never really ends, especially when a player with Simmons size and playmaking profile comes off the board and onto a roster in flux.
New York did have interest in bringing Simmons back this offseason, but the sides never got to an agreement, leaving the door cracked rather than shut. The Knicks still view him as a possible option later if circumstances change, which means his fit in New York could become a storyline again depending on how Sacramento handles the situation and whether Simmons is still available down the line. [Read more 🡒]