The New York Knicks are the reigning NBA Champions, but that doesn’t mean they are perfect. They still have one major need to address in NBA free agency: Their lack of depth at the center position.
They put an offer sheet in for Dallas Mavericks’ center Moussa Cisse, but that ended up being matched shortly after.
Here are the three best options available for New York to improve their rotation. The options aren’t anything crazy, but they really need another body.
Nick Richards is the best option available at this point, and he would be a great addition to any team in need of a backup big.
Richards is one of the few options that would be able to contribute to the rotation and have a true impact on the team. He is an athletic big that would be great in pick and roll sets with some of the Knicks’ guards.
Richards averaged 9.4 points and 7.6 rebounds in 22 minutes a night (20 games) after being traded to the Chicago Bulls last season.
Kelly Olynyk isn’t a traditional center, but that may be his best option at this point in his career. Turning himself into a stretch five would give the Knicks some real options for when Karl-Anthony Towns is in foul trouble.
His attempts from three have gone down each season, but he was chucking up around five a night a few years ago. If he can shoot at a 35% clip, that would be perfectly fine for a veteran big off the bench.
Mason Plumlee is the definition of “another body” at this point in his career. His main attraction is that he is 7’0 tall and has veteran experience.
Is he the best option? No, but he is better than doing nothing. The 36-year-old has been a good rebounder throughout his NBA career, so if he does need to play minutes in New York, he at least would be able to do that.
The Knicks don’t need anything special when it comes to filling out their roster, but one thing is for certain. They need to address their poor center depth. The options aren’t great, but it’s better than nothing at this point in the offseason.
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