It's perhaps the league's worst-kept secret that the New York Knicks are highly interested in adding another center to their roster heading into their title-defense season in 2026-27.
Given that they lost Mitchell Robinson to the Boston Celtics this offseason and have an open roster spot, all the logic points to a new big man being added to the team at some point this year.
Over the past several months, a ton of names have been thrown around as possible targets for Leon Rose and company, with talents ranging from seasoned veterans to raw young prospects.
Perhaps the most popular suggestion among fans and several media figures has been 28-year-old Nick Richards, a player the Knicks have been linked to dating as far back as last year's trade deadline. However, based on recent rumblings, it seems he may be South Beach-bound, which, if proven true, would leave New York with far less desirable options to choose from in free agency.
Richards signing with the Heat would automatically take away the far-and-away best-fitting talent available to them on the open market.
In a way, this may be the best thing for the club, as it could give them the nudge they need to take a less sexy but far more strategic approach to addressing their biggest rotational need: waiting until the season is well underway before making a decision on who their third center will be.
Nick Richards signing with Heat could have Knicks wait on adding center
Clearly, the Knicks are far from satisfied with the current crop of available free-agent big men. If they weren't, they would have snatched one up by now.
Objectively, Richards is the most enticing option among the pack, considering his game coupled with the long-standing link between him and New York.
Should he be removed from the conversation of legitimate targets, the best pivot approach for the Knicks would almost certainly be holding off on bringing on a new big until the campaign is in full swing.
Right now, the Knicks have 14 players on their roster, which, per league rules, is the minimum number a team can have. With this in mind, perhaps playing through the first half of the year as currently constructed and taking the chance that other options may become available through the buyout or trade market is the higher-upside course of action.
If no needle-moving names present themselves, one can almost certainly assume many of the names that are unsigned at the moment will still be up for grabs in a few months from now.
Remember, free agent center and regularly mentioned Knicks option, Bismack Biyombo, was scooped up by the Spurs in early February of last season. With the lack of buzz surrounding him and many of his fellow free agent centers, it's easy to believe at least some will still be available come midseason.
In the end, playing the long game may be the best route for the Knicks to take when looking for more depth at the five spot.
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