The Knicks solved one center problem this offseason when they brought in Andre Drummond on a minimum deal after Mitchell Robinson’s exit. That move gives New York a real backup behind Karl-Anthony Towns, someone who can soak up minutes and hold things down when needed.
But the job isn’t finished.
Right now, the Knicks don’t have a signed third center behind Drummond, and that leaves a thin spot in a frontcourt that’s supposed to help carry a championship defense. New York has already seen what Towns can mean to a title run. He handled a bigger offensive role, raised his level on defense, and was a key piece in getting the job done this past postseason.
That kind of load, though, comes with a cost. Towns will head into the 2026-27 season with less recovery time than every other star big not named Wemby because he played into the middle of June. He’s also approaching 31, and that matters when the season starts piling up.
For a Knicks team that has its core back and knows its starting five can beat anybody when healthy, keeping the bigs fresh should be a priority. That becomes a lot harder if the depth chart at center is just Drummond and a riskier option behind him.
It would be a tough look if Towns had to come out of the gates carrying a heavy load again simply because the Knicks didn’t stock enough playable depth. It could also leave him more worn down when the playoffs arrive, which is the opposite of what New York wants in a repeat push.
The danger gets even bigger if Towns gets hurt.
He has been durable since arriving in New York, appearing in 72 and 75 games over his two seasons there. Still, there’s no promise that continues in 2026-27, especially after the grind of a Finals run and 37 more regular-season games added to his body through two long playoff trips.
If that catches up to him and Drummond has to step into the starting role for an extended stretch, the Knicks could be staring at a frontcourt that leans on an aging center and an uncertain third big. That kind of setup could drag out losses, and even if those early setbacks don’t wreck the season, they could matter for playoff seeding and the bracket that follows.
Drummond has his own availability questions, too. He played 63 regular-season games in 2025-26, and the year before that he was down to 40.
The skill set is still there, especially on the glass, which is exactly why he makes sense for a contender. But the older he gets, the more the risk shifts toward availability and decline.
The Knicks have already signaled they know Drummond alone may not be enough. They made runs at Moussa Cissé and Karlo Matković this summer, two younger options with upside and enough NBA experience to give some confidence if they were needed.
If New York can’t land that kind of third center, the fallback could be another veteran stopgap such as Kelly Olynyk or Dwight Powell. That would fill the roster spot, but it wouldn’t offer the same kind of answer as Cissé or Matković.
So the next move matters. Leon Rose needs to find a bigger fish, whether that comes as a cut candidate or a trade possibility before the season. If the Knicks open the year without a real solution at center, they’ll be walking into opening night with a problem that can ripple through the season.
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Knicks Have An Under-The-Radar Center Option Worth Watching
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Knicks May Have Found The Edge That Could Finish This Finals
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That lesson may already be shaping the way the Knicks are approaching this run, especially after their Finals comeback against San Antonio underscored how quickly momentum can swing when a team keeps its composure. The Spurs youth showed up in the final stretch of that series, but for New York the larger question is whether this group can turn those hard-earned lessons into something more permanent the next time the season is on the line. [Read more 🡒]