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7 Knicks free agent targets with ties to Julius Randle

By Josh Cornelissen

Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images
Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images /
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New York Knicks
Christian Wood, New Orleans Pelicans. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) – New York Knicks /

Knicks Free Agent Target No. 4: Christian Wood, Big

We discussed earlier the 2018-19 New Orleans Pelicans when Julius Randle started at power forward in a super-sized frontcourt with Anthony Davis and Nikola Mirotic. Down the stretch of that season, with Davis often injured and Mirotic traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Pels gave run to a young big named Christian Wood.

Wood, a raw big out of UNLV who spent time in the G League with the Greensboro Swarm before being picked up by the Pelicans, got big minutes right off the bat at the tail end of a lost season. He took full advantage, scoring 16.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in eight appearances. He was bouncy, for good and for ill, and his speed and strength made an impression that got him a full contract with the Detroit Pistons and eventually a larger contract and role in Houston and Dallas.

This summer Wood is now a free agent once again, and the Mavericks don’t seem particularly motivated (subscription required) to bring him back. He is likely not going to command a salary of $20 million or more this summer after a shaky year in Dallas, and it’s possible a team could sign him with the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (MLE) this offseason. Would the Knicks make a move?

On the one hand, they have plenty of bigs. On the other, their center rotation is made up of low-usage play finishers, and if they offload any of those players in a trade, Wood could make sense as an offensive-minded center with the skill to create his own shot. It would be a different look for the Knicks, and probably not one head coach Tom Thibodeau is willing to entertain, but good teams should always be looking for ways to be versatile. Signing Christian Wood could accomplish that… or it could be a waste of money.