The Knicks signed two centers to training-camp deals, yet they may still need another one before the season begins. James L. Edwards III reported that adding center insurance through free agency or a trade would not be surprising. At the moment, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond are the only centers on standard contracts.
The camp competition does not erase the depth issue. James Wiseman and Drew Eubanks can earn a spot, but neither arrived with a guaranteed standard deal. I would take the center problem seriously even if one of them looks good in preseason. A defending champion should not be an ankle tweak away from asking its starters to cover every frontcourt minute.
A Knicks camp win may not finish the job
Wiseman has the size and talent that made him the No. 2 pick in 2020, but he played only four NBA games for Indiana last season. Eubanks offers a different, more experienced look. Camp should tell Mike Brown who can help right now; it should not be treated as proof that New York has a full season’s worth of reliable depth.
The club brought Drummond in after Mitchell Robinson left for Boston. His role was already going to be larger than a routine backup assignment. If Towns misses time or gets into foul trouble, there is not much established center play behind Drummond on the current standard-contract roster.
Drummond was with Philadelphia at the time. Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
There is no reported agreement with another center and no reason to claim a trade is imminent. Edwards’ report is about the roster need and what New York may still do, not a completed transaction. The Knicks can use camp to see whether Wiseman or Eubanks is a workable answer, then decide if the market offers someone better.
The front office has time before opening night. It does not have the same margin for a mistake that it had when Robinson was still behind Towns.
