The New York Knicks' Championship celebration was officially broken up by Mitchell Robinson's departure for the Boston Celtics. The first official day of 2026 NBA Free Agency was a heartbreaker for Leon Rose and William Wesley's front office, given the limitations the second apron reportedly had on their summer plans.
Hours before the news broke regarding Robinson, backup big man Ariel Hukporti also inked a deal with a divisional rival. The German center is off to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he and Adem Bona are slated to support Joel Embiid in their rotation.
The center market is drying up, with both landing spots and starting options beginning to run low. One remaining free agent, though, has experience playing under Mike Brown from their shared time on the Golden State Warriors. And there's already been confirmation, from several sources, that there's some form of mutual interest between the Knicks and free agent center Kevon Looney. New York should go grab him, if he's amenable to signing a deal they can afford.
Looney would bring Knicks some Championship experience under Brown
Although Jordan Clarkson's fate remains unknown, it seems like the majority of the Knicks' 2027 roster will have recent Championship experience.
Looney wouldn't have to feel awkward on Ring Night, though, because he'd be bringing three of his own. He played for the 2017, 2018, and 2022 Golden State Warriors squads that won it all. And Brown, under head coach Steve Kerr, was their defensive coordinator.
SNY's Ian Begley reported days ago that interest between the Knicks and Looney is mutual, because of the center's experience under Brown.
The ex-Pelican has been part of Championship-winning front-courts before. The Knicks may not have Stephen Curry on their roster. But Jalen Brunson unironically just won Finals MVP doing plenty of the same things, off of the ball, that became signature parts of Curry's game over time in Golden State.
It might only make sense to bring the big man that accompanied him to The Finals, three different times, to New York City.
Was Looney's last season simply the result of Pelican Problems?
There are valid concerns surrounding the center's potential impact. His first season outside of the Warriors' infrastructure was last year, when he played for the New Orleans Pelicans. He posted a career-worst estimated plus-minus of -1.1, according to Dunks & Threes, and did so on a career-worst true shooting percentage.
The Pelicans' struggles to play winning basketball weren't the only factor holding Looney back, though. The center missed the start of the season with a knee injury that lingered throughout the rest of the year. New York's doctors just spent all season working hand-in-hand with Robinson on an injury management plan, in the face of his pending free agency, to help maximize his value to the team.
If the same is necessary for Looney, the Knicks have learned firsthand that those sacrifices can be worthwhile.
It makes sense that, after playing just 14.7 minutes per game in 21 games last season, New Orleans chose not to pick up Looney's $8 million team option for the 2027 campaign. But Looney is still just 30 years old.
While he had injury problems last season, the Knicks still have cigars in their mouths. They can afford to help manage his load throughout the regular season, if it helps bring more playoff success. Signing the 6-foot-9 center would come with risks, but New York is prepared to mitigate them.
They just won a Championship by taking calculated risks – even if the rest of the league thought they were senseless – and sticking to their plans. Losing Robinson certainly wasn't on their to-do list this offseason, but they've earned their fanbase's trust with regard to their pivot. Looney might just be the answer, for now, and he's sitting right in front of them.
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