The Knicks still have a shot at Jonas Valanciunas, and the timing looks better now that Mitchell Robinson is gone to Boston.
Valanciunas is an unrestricted free agent after Denver waived him, and while one report said he had decided to head back to Lithuania, he pushed back on that notion. He is still on the market, which keeps him in play for New York as the team looks to add more size behind Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks already signed Andre Drummond, but they still have a clear need for another big.
At 34, Valanciunas is no longer operating at the level he showed in his prime, but he still brought something useful last season. In 65 games as Nikola Jokic’s backup, he averaged 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists. He can still clean the glass, score close to the basket and handle a steady 15-minute center role for a playoff team.
The money won’t be what sells him. New York is below the second apron, and a veteran minimum deal would put him in competition with Drummond for backup minutes. So the pitch has to be about role and opportunity: one more run at a title, a defined job, and a team that understands what he still does well.
That matters because Valanciunas would give the Knicks a different look. Towns gives them scoring at center, Drummond brings physical rebounding, and Valanciunas would add a reserve with better post touch and enough passing feel to keep the offense from turning into a nonstop handoff sequence.
The real question is what Valanciunas wants. He could choose another season with limited minutes, or he could take the bigger role and bigger money offered by Zalgiris on a two-year deal. New York can offer the stronger basketball stage, but it cannot promise him the ball every night.
Still, the Knicks should make the call. He is not the answer to every frontcourt issue, and nobody should pretend otherwise. But he would be a useful veteran behind Towns and Drummond if the fit works.
Losing Robinson changed the margin for error. Drummond helps, but a contender cannot afford to be one foul away from leaning on an undersized lineup in key moments.
Valanciunas is available, he knows the front office, and he is still productive enough to matter. The Knicks have a chance to get this one right without messing with the payroll structure. They should find out whether he wants the same thing they do.
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