3 potential replacements Knicks could sign as Ariel Hukporti departs1. Charles Bassey<\/p>\n
Current Hawks free agent Charles Bassey offers the Knicks an intriguing combination of potential, rebounding, and defense for cheap that’s a perfect fit for the third center spot.<\/p>\n
Though he only appeared in 13 games last season, Bassey made the most of it whenever he got an extended run. He had performances of 13 rebounds (with two blocks), 12 rebounds (and two blocks), and 10 boards (with a block and steal) despite limited chances during the 2025-26 campaign.<\/p>\n
Overall, he was hyper-efficient with his time, averaging 5.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, and 0.8 bpg in only 11.8 mpg. Notably for New York post-Mitchell Robinson, 1.8 of Bassey’s boards per game were offensive.<\/p>\n
Now, Bassey has never surpassed 36 games in a single season even though he’s a five-year pro, so that makes him a bit of an unknown still. He also has a lengthy injury history that includes a recent MCL sprain, as well as a previously torn and fractured patella.<\/p>\n
But that’s also the kind of player the Knicks will be able to get for cheap and who’d gladly take a deep bench job on a contender, especially since there are two backup center roles up for grabs<\/a> in the Big Apple.<\/p>\n And even though Bassey doesn’t have a large sample size to judge, the fact that he’s logged at least 4.0 rpg in every season while averaging just 12.1 mpg during that time shows a level of consistency and dedication to making an impact on the glass.<\/p>\n The thought of using Bassey in a heightened role is alluring as well, given his flashes. During his best NBA campaign in 2022-23, the Western Kentucky product logged a staggering per-36-minute average of 13.7 rebounds per game, plus 2.3 blocks as well. That kind of projected impact is what made Hukporti so attractive as Robinson’s successor next season.<\/p>\n Bassey isn’t the kind of vet who would come in with any minutes guarantee, so New York wouldn’t be stuck if he didn’t work out. Yet there’s also reason to believe he’d more than make the team happy as a third big who can provide some energy and patrol the paint on both ends.<\/p>\n 2. Mason Plumlee<\/p>\n Of course, the Knicks could also go in a more aging-veteran approach if they want a bit more of a known commodity even as a third-stringer. In that case, Mason Plumlee could be a great match.<\/p>\n While his 2025-26 numbers (1.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg) were ugly, he’s also just one season removed from a healthy 4.5 ppg and 6.1 rpg for the Suns across 74 games the year before. He’s another player who’s active on the offensive boards, with an impressive career average of 2.0 per game and a mark of 2.9 just three seasons ago at age 32.<\/p>\n Fresh off his worst NBA season and a groin injury that ended his year prematurely, even a respected vet like Plumlee won’t be able to cash in a hot market for centers. That only works to Leon Rose and Mike Brown’s advantage. <\/p>\n The former first-round pick should be the ultimate professional given how many NBA locker rooms he’s welcomed into through the doors, and he likely knows he’s not someone who commands a ton of minutes any longer. But he could be an energizer and sneaky playmaker (3.6 apg in 2020-21) who complements whichever player New York lands on as its main backup center.<\/p>\n Plumlee has also appeared in a staggering 77 playoff games, so he’d fit right in with a team retooling for a championship defense. And the fact that a ring has escaped his grasp in 13 seasons so far would only provide further motivation for Plumlee to raise his level of play in the Big Apple after a down year.<\/p>\n 3. Christian Koloko<\/p>\n Swinging back to the other end of the spectrum, Christian Koloko is another upside play as a third-string center candidate. <\/p>\n Koloko has shown promising signs on the boards in three seasons to this point, notching 2.8 rpg over a career average of only 12.3 minutes per game. He also blocked 57 shots in 58 appearances as a rookie in 2021-22, plus has 43 steals in his 122 NBA appearances so far. <\/p>\n The 26-year-old still has some refining to do, but his development journey hasn’t been easy after a blood clot issue forced him to miss his entire second campaign. That was preceded by playing for his second, third, and fourth NBA teams over the next two years.<\/p>\n The Knicks could provide Koloko with the stability of a veteran-led, leadership-heavy environment that could help him flourish. He’d be able to focus on what he does best in the paint with an impeccably crafted roster around him, which should only make things easier for him to excel in his areas of strength.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, New York would get a player with Hukporti-esque numbers who can be developed into something more. Pairing him with a more premium main center backup<\/a> makes a ton of sense after the team passed on a rookie occupying the third-string role.<\/p>\n
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