Nick Richards is off the board, and that leaves the Knicks staring at a thin market for the one thing they still need: another usable center.
Shams Charania of ESPN reported Thursday afternoon that Richards has agreed to a one-year deal with the Miami Heat. New York had been linked to the CAA client for a while, but his decision tightens the options for a Knicks team that still has one roster spot available while staying under the second apron. Unless Leon Rose finds a trade in the coming weeks, the answer likely comes from the remaining free-agent big men or from a training-camp competition.
One name that stands out is Ben Simmons. The 30-year-old is the only player on this list who did not appear in an NBA game last season, but he brings the most intrigue.
The former No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft has supporters in the Knicks front office, and New York reportedly offered him a contract last summer. In his last stop with the Clippers, the 6-foot-10 Simmons worked mostly as a backup center.
If he is healthy, he can handle the ball, rebound and defend. If he would accept a non-guaranteed training-camp deal, the Knicks would be taking a low-risk swing.
Tony Bradley is a more familiar kind of option. The 28-year-old UNC product spent time with Indiana and Atlanta last season and has become the sort of journeyman who can eat regular-season minutes without much fuss.
He has played on playoff teams, and at 6-foot-10 he gives a team size and body work in the paint when Karl-Anthony Towns or Andre Drummond need a breather. Bradley is at a point where a tryout makes sense, which keeps him in the mix for a camp battle.
Mason Plumlee brings more mileage. The 13-year veteran played only 20 games last season after surgery to repair an injured right groin in December, finishing the year as a bench warmer with the Spurs.
Even so, he was a rotational piece not long ago with the Clippers and Suns. Now 36, Plumlee still offers activity on the offensive glass, a reputation for toughness and the kind of edge that can matter on a bench.
He would also bring a willingness to stand up for teammates.
Drew Eubanks is another name that fits the mold. He appeared in 42 games for the Kings last season, including 11 starts, and put up 5.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game before a torn UCL in his left thumb ended his season in March.
The 29-year-old has played for six teams and had his best stretch in Portland, where he started 50 games over a season and a half while averaging 8.4 points and 6.0 rebounds. He is not a headline-grabber, but he does the dirty work.
Bismack Biyombo remains a steady fallback. The 15-year veteran has been around so long it feels like he has been everywhere, yet he is still only 33 and can still be trusted to cover regular-season minutes.
Last season in San Antonio, he mostly served as a mentor for Victor Wembanyama, but he also started 26 games and averaged 5.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in 18.8 minutes. That suggests there is enough left for him to handle emergency center duty early in the year while New York looks for a more premium third big.
Dwight Powell is another possibility, even if his future in Dallas looks uncertain. The longtime Maverick has spent all but five games of his career with the Mavericks, but he has said he wants to play one more season and a retirement tour with Dallas does not appear likely because of the team’s glut of big men. At 35, he has not averaged more than 15 minutes per game since 2022-23, but he knows Jalen Brunson and could be willing to move for a shot at a championship.
Kevin Love also remains out there. He played sparingly for Utah last season, but he still shot 37.3% from three and was once one of the league’s best rebounders.
Kelly Olynyk, meanwhile, averaged 3.2 points and 1.9 rebounds in 8.8 minutes across 42 games with the Spurs last season. The 35-year-old is a career 36.9% shooter from deep and has plenty of playoff experience from his time with Boston and Miami.
The Toronto native is only one season removed from averaging 8.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in 20.3 minutes split between the Pelicans and Raptors, and his size could still make him a useful role player. After 13 years in the league, he is surely still chasing a ring that has so far eluded him.
In Other News...
Mike Breen Identified What Defined The Knicks Under Finals Pressure
Mike Breen stepped into the SNY broadcast booth during a Mets game and used the moment to reflect on the Knicks championship path, zeroing in on the mental side of their 2026 NBA Finals run. What stood out to him was how the group handled pressure as a unit, with playoff-tested veterans and willing role players helping the Knicks absorb the stress of an NBA Finals stage that can rattle even the most talented teams.
Across the first two games against the San Antonio Spurs, New York had to play from behind and still found a way to settle in and make winning plays late. Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart each had their turns carrying the load, but Breens point was broader than any one performance: the Knicks title push was built on collective sacrifice, and that showed up every time the game started tilting the wrong way. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Veteran Big Search Just Got More Interesting In Portland
Portlands backcourt depth took a serious hit with Shaedon Sharpe expected to miss six months because of a torn meniscus, and that kind of injury ripple can alter more than just the rotation. For a Blazers team already juggling its roster, the pressure now falls on the front office to make sure every spot is doing real work, especially after claiming center Micah Potter off waivers.
Potters situation is the one worth watching from a Knicks perspective. Portland is over capacity and already has two centers ahead of him, which could make him the odd man out if the Blazers need to clear room elsewhere. If he becomes available, New York has reason to look closely, because the Knicks still have a need for a veteran big man. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Suddenly Look Like A Real Landing Spot For Kelly Olynyk
Kelly Olynyk is still on the market, and the pool of obvious landing spots has narrowed after Golden State used its final roster openings elsewhere. That leaves the veteran big man weighing a familiar kind of late-summer uncertainty, with a handful of teams still in the mix and the chance of a standard contract looking slimmer by the day.
The Knicks, though, suddenly stand out as a place where Olynyk could actually compete for a spot rather than simply wait for one to open up. A training-camp invite or another non-guaranteed arrangement would give New York a low-risk look at a player who could fit into its center depth, and for Olynyk it would create a real path to stick around if he can make the case on the floor. [Read more 🡒]