The New York Knicks could have a void to fill at the center position. Who are the top five options for the Knicks to consider in the 2018 NBA Draft?
The New York Knicks entered the 2017-18 NBA regular season with four playable centers on the roster. That inevitably created a logjam, with Enes Kanter and Kyle O’Quinn winning playing time, and Willy Hernangomez and Joakim Noah becoming alienated.
As the 2018 NBA Draft nears, however, it doesn’t appear as though the Knicks are settled on any of those four centers.
New York traded Hernangomez to the Charlotte Hornets, which clearly rules him out as one of the franchise cornerstones. Noah has become a pariah of sorts, with the Knicks considering the use of the stretch provision to lighten his financial burden.
Kanter and O’Quinn provide value, but both have player options for the 2018-19 season that many expect them to decline in favor of a long-term deal.
While fans and analysts have been calling for the Knicks to move Kristaps Porzingis to the 5-spot, the front office continues to believe there are other answers. There’s been rumored interest in a number of 2018 NBA Draft prospects who fit the mold of a center, and there could be fire where there’s smoke.
The question is: Who are the top five centers for the New York Knicks to consider in the 2018 NBA Draft based on fit, availability, skill, and upside?