Either James Wiseman, Tony Bradley, or Drew Eubanks will begin the regular season as the New York Knicks’ third center. That much is basically a fact. We know the Knicks want another big man, and they’re the only players on the training-camp roster who fit the bill.
None of them, though, should be viewed as the permanent solution. We know this, too. Because, well, the Knicks are essentially telling us as much.
New York previously “told some potential free agents” that it was in the market “for a big man on the younger side,” according to Ian Begley of SNY. That is first and foremost good news for James Wiseman.
Temporarily.
The Knicks don’t have a center who meets their preferred criteria
Eubanks is 29, and will celebrate his 30th birthday before the trade deadline. Bradley is 28, and turns 29 in early January. Neither one of them checks the “younger side” box.
Wiseman, meanwhile, is not conventionally old. He is currently 25, and will not turn 26 until March.
At the same time, he’s an elder statesman by NBA standards.
Players from his rookie class can already sign their third contracts (in the form of extensions). Granted, Wiseman doesn’t have as much mileage on him as fellow 2020 draftees like LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards. That’s part of the problem.
Injuries have derailed Wiseman’s career arc just as much as the holes in his game. He suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee as a rookie that required undergoing multiple procedures, and ended up costing him his entire sophomore campaign.
Then, as a member of the Indiana Pacers in October 2024, he tore his left Achilles during the season-opener. That is a potentially damning setback for someone whose athleticism should be his bread and butter. It is even worse when, in Wiseman’s case, he was already considered a fringe-rotation player.
Don’t view New York’s training-camp decisions as final
It almost doesn’t matter which big the Knicks keep from their training-camp roster. Wiseman, Eubanks, or Bradley would be viewed as a placeholder—a stopgap behind Andre Drummond and Karl-Anthony Towns until a better, actually younger option comes along.
We needn’t be fluent in tealeaves to reach this conclusion. Never mind Begley’s initial report. The team’s previous pursuit of the 24-year-old Moussa Diabate, as well as the 22-year-old Yves Missi, speak for itself.
The Knicks will come closest to scratching the younger-big itch with Wiseman. Barring a miracle breakout from him, though, he wouldn’t actually represent an investment in their preferred archetype.
It is becoming increasingly clear that commitment will come later, most likely via the trade market.
Add us as a preferred source on Google