The New York Knicks signed Andre Drummond to a one-year veteran minimum deal this offseason to replace Mitchell Robinson. There is still a massive hole. Drummond is an elite rebounder and showcased a developing 3-point shot last season, but he’s had defensive issues dating back to his All-Star days in Detroit. The 33-year-old is no longer that player. The Knicks will be looking for an upgrade over Drummond before the deadline, but their spending issues will make acquiring one painful.
New York is just $3.2 million under the second apron, which they are not exceeding. The defending champions don’t have much money to play with, and Drummond's expiring contract won’t get them much. They are light on tradeable draft picks. The Knicks’ best bet is trading a key rotation piece and some draft capital if they are set on replacing Robinson's production.
Depth is more important than ever in the second apron era. One of the Knicks' biggest changes under Mike Brown was trusting the bench more, and it helped them win a championship. New York doesn’t want to lose a guard or wing to get a big man, but Drummond is not the answer. He is a stopgap option at best.
Knicks finding a backup center won’t come cheap
The center market was expensive this summer. The Lakers gave up two first-round draft picks and two swaps plus a four-year, $129.4 million contract to land Walker Kessler. Mitch Rob got $14.7 million per year from the Celtics. Even Jock Landale got a one-year, $14 million contract. Every team is looking for size, so no center is coming cheap.
New York has no plans to trade Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, or Josh Hart. Landry Shamet is their next highest-paid player at just $5.4 million. The Knicks have to sign a 14th player early in the season, so they won’t be able to take back much more money than they send out in a trade.
Players making around that number are mostly on their rookie deals. Not many teams want to dump a young big man, especially with the Knicks only capable of offering one first-round draft pick. New York would have to send virtually all of their draft capital out to acquire a center in this salary range or trade away a core piece of their roster.
Knicks may be stuck with Andre Drummond
Drummond is coming off a bounce-back season in Philadelphia. The 33-year-old looked finished in 2025. He produced a negative value over replacement player (VORP) and was limited to just 40 contests. Last season, he played 19.5 minutes per game for the 76ers. Drummond averaged 6.4 points and 8.4 rebounds with a 0.4 VORP.
The surprising 3-point shot and outstanding rebounding are positives. The Knicks are contenders, so Drummond should be locked in on that end of the floor.
The optimistic view has this working out. Coach Brown has to figure out how. He found a way to maximize Towns in the playoffs. Fans should have some faith, especially because there the only true pivot out to replace Mitch Rob is dealing one of their five best players.
Trading Josh Hart is the only other option
Hart is a key piece of the Knicks, but there are already questions about his future. The Knicks have a $22.3 million team option for the 2027-28 season. Picking that up has them flirting with the second apron before replacing Miles McBride, Andre Drummond, or Jordan Clarkson. It will be virtually impossible to keep Hart long-term if Brunson takes a raise in the 2028-29 campaign unless the Knicks change their second apron stance or trade away another starter.
New York could get ahead of it by trading Hart for a center before the deadline. This would give them an upgrade over Drummond, but hurt their wing depth. It may not solve their problems. The Knicks could get a Daniel Gafford, Wendell Carter Jr., or Isaiah Stewart to back up KAT. Hart is a better player, but needs matter.
The New York Knicks will be forced to pay a hefty price if they want to replace Mitchell Robinson’s production. Andre Drummond is not the answer. Finding an upgrade over him costs the Knicks a key rotation player. Trying to match Mitch Rob’s production means sending out Hart.
There are no easy decisions in the second apron era. The Knicks just won the title. They should be facing these issues already. New York may just be stuck with Drummond and just forced to make the best of it. That is far from ideal, but upgrading would be costly.
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