The Knicks’ offseason took a sharp hit when Mitchell Robinson headed to the Boston Celtics, and the damage didn’t stop there. Hours before that news broke, backup center Ariel Hukporti also left for a divisional opponent, signing with the Philadelphia 76ers.
That kind of double blow leaves New York staring at a center market that is getting thin fast. The list of available options is shrinking, and one name still on the board comes with something the Knicks clearly value: familiarity with Mike Brown.
Kevon Looney has that connection. He spent time with Brown during their overlap with the Golden State Warriors, and multiple sources have already confirmed there is mutual interest between Looney and the Knicks. If New York can work out a deal it can afford, it should make the move.
Looney would also bring something else into the building: championship experience. He won titles with the 2017, 2018, and 2022 Warriors, and Brown was part of that staff as Steve Kerr’s defensive coordinator.
That matters in a Knicks locker room that could wind up leaning heavily on players who know what the final rounds look like. Jordan Clarkson’s situation is still unresolved, but the bigger picture points toward a roster with plenty of recent championship background. Looney would fit right into that.
The appeal is obvious, especially with Jalen Brunson coming off a Finals MVP run in which he did plenty of the same off-ball work that became a Curry staple in Golden State. New York does not have Stephen Curry, but the parallels are hard to miss, and Looney was there for three different title runs with that core.
Still, the fit isn’t without questions. Looney’s only season away from the Warriors’ system came last year with the New Orleans Pelicans, and the numbers weren’t pretty. He finished with a career-worst estimated plus-minus of -1.1, according to Dunks & Threes, and a career-worst true shooting percentage.
The context matters, though. Looney also missed the start of the season because of a knee injury that lingered all year. The Pelicans’ overall struggles were part of the picture, but not the whole thing.
That’s where the Knicks can lean on what they just went through with Robinson. Their medical staff spent the season working closely with him on an injury management plan as they tried to maximize his value while he was approaching free agency. If Looney needs that kind of handling, New York has already shown it can navigate it.
The workload was light last season, too. Looney played just 14.7 minutes per game in 21 games, and that helps explain why New Orleans passed on his $8 million team option for the 2027 season. He is 30, though, and the Knicks are in a position where they can think bigger picture and manage his regular-season minutes if it helps in the playoffs.
That is the gamble here, and it is a familiar kind of gamble for a team that just won a championship by trusting its plan. Losing Robinson was not part of the script, but New York has earned the benefit of the doubt on the pivot. Looney is available, the connection to Brown is real, and the Knicks know exactly why he makes sense.
In Other News...
Buffalo Prospect Left His First Syracuse Visit Wanting More
Alex Davis already had Syracuse on his radar before he ever got to campus, thanks to an early offer and the pull of a program that has made a point of reaching into Western New York. The Canisius High defensive lineman from Buffalo spent June at the Oranges Franchise Camp, where he got a closer look at the staff and the way the program operates under Fran Brown. For a prospect still early in the process, the visit gave him a better sense of what Syracuse is selling, and why it has stayed in his thoughts.
Davis also came away with a clearer picture of the coaching he would be getting there, working closely with John Scott Jr. and Jeremy Hawkins as they talked through his development and next steps. What seems to resonate most is the broader fit, not just the football side but the culture Brown has built and the emphasis on growth beyond the field. For Syracuse, landing that kind of impression with a local prospect this early matters, even if the story is still only beginning. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Recruiting Just Got More Complicated For Several Top Targets
A major reshuffling of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Scholastic is about to change the backdrop for a lot of Syracuse recruiting. The circuit is set to trim from 20 member institutions to 15 for the 2026-27 season, and that kind of contraction matters because so many of the Orange's top targets are tied to those schools. For Syracuse, it is another reminder that the recruiting map is not staying still, especially with several prospects the staff has already tracked closely.
The ripple effects reach right into the class of 2027 and beyond, from Zion Green's move to AZ Compass Prep to Syracuse's interest in players at places like Long Island Lutheran, Iowa United Prep and CIA Bella Vista. Gerry McNamara's staff is still working to build relationships across that changing landscape, but the league's revised membership will alter where some of those evaluations happen and which programs remain central to the chase. For a staff trying to stay ahead of the curve, the next few months figure to matter as much as the eventual roster of schools that survives the cut. [Read more 🡒]
Gerry McNamaras First Syracuse Schedule Already Looks Absolutely Brutal
Syracuses first schedule under Gerry McNamara is already shaping up to be a serious early test, with the 2026-27 slate likely to feature a long list of opponents carrying preseason top-25 buzz. Duke, Virginia, Louisville, North Carolina, Miami, Indiana and St. Johns all show up in one form or another across preseason projections from ESPN, CBS Sports and Jon Rothstein, which means the Orange will not have much room to ease into the new era.
For a program trying to establish itself under a first-time head coach, that kind of lineup can be both a measuring stick and a minefield. Syracuse is outside the preseason rankings at ESPN and CBS Sports, while Rothstein slots the Orange at No. 43, so the challenge is obvious: build momentum quickly while navigating a schedule that already looks loaded with chances for statement wins and plenty of chances for trouble. [Read more 🡒]