The majority of the offseason for the New York Knicks has seemingly revolved around the state of their center position.
From losing Mitchell Robinson to the rival Celtics in free agency to scooping up veteran Andre Drummond as his direct replacement, a large chunk of Leon Rose's efforts this summer have been focused on stabilizing the five spot.
Now, with just over two months to go before the regular season's tip-off and one vacant roster spot available, the defending champions still find themselves in the process of fine-tuning their pivot depth, with SNY's Ian Begley revealing New York has been "in touch with several free agent centers" as they look to land a third big to their rotation.
While some may be quick to take this as an exciting bit of news, as it certainly suggests the Knicks are interested in making one final move before their title-defense campaign begins, Begley may have curbed any and all enthusiasm on the matter by noting that "if they wanted to sign one of these centers on a guaranteed one-year deal, the Knicks would have done so already."
Essentially, what this means is the crop of big men available on the open market isn't really piquing the front office's interest, which, in turn, could lead to a longer, more drawn-out search for an insurance big than most may have hoped.
In fact, it could even force the Knicks to pursue in-season trades to attain such a player, which, theoretically, could come at the cost of one of their most beloved talents.
Knicks focus remains on state of center spot with looming KAT extension
Not only are New York's efforts focused on adding new talent to their center position, but also on keeping the top-billed pivot that they already have in tow for the long haul.
Right now, Karl-Anthony Towns is eligible to sign a brand new multi-year contract extension worth up to $272 million.
Though KAT is certainly worth such a payday, especially after playing such a big role in guiding the Knicks to their first championship since 1973, club owner James Dolan has made it well known this summer that he has no desire to exceed the second-apron anytime soon, a threshold that would most certainly be entered into should they re-up with the All-Star at the max rate.
Because of this, many are under the impression that, for the two to remain together, a financial compromise must be reached, with some advocating that Towns should sacrifice his earnings for the betterment of the team as Jalen Brunson did just two summers ago.
Both Towns and the Knicks will have until the day before opening night to come to a resolution.
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