New York Knicks: Ideal Replacements For Robin Lopez

In acquiring point guard Derrick Rose, the New York Knicks lost center Robin Lopez. Who should the Knicks sign to replace Lopez?

Feb 26, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol (16) dribbles the ball around Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) in the third quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 103-88. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks have committed to a more explosive future by trading for 2011 NBA MVP Derrick Rose. It was a shocking move, to say the least, that has answered the question of who will start at point guard in 2016-17.

The question is, who will start at center?

Rose is coming off of a season during which he averaged 16.4 points and 4.7 assists in 31.8 minutes per game. Those numbers may not be superb, but Rose was the prodigal son of Chicago and won the 2011 NBA MVP award.

Likely due to the weight Rose’s name holds, New York was forced to give up starting center Robin Lopez in the trade.

The Bulls are trading Rose to the Knicks for Robin Lopez, Jerian Grant and bigger package, sources tell @TheVertical
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 22, 2016

Rose’s upside could prove worth the risk, but losing Lopez will be tough.

Lopez had a very strong season in 2015-16, averaging 10.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 27.1 minutes of action per game. More importantly, he helped the Knicks rank No. 1 in the NBA in defensive field goal percentage at the rim.

The question is, which free agent centers would be Lopez’s ideal replacement at center?

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