Why the 26-27 Knicks Should Sign a Two-Time All-Star Center
As of July 2nd, the New York Knicks have only one true center on their roster: Karl-Anthony Towns. A day prior, Mitchell Robinson signed with the Boston Celtics on a three-year, $47 million deal while Ariel Hukporti agreed to a one-year, three-million-dollar deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. The backup center position has become so valuable due to the freak of nature that is Victor Wembanyama, and because of that, there aren’t a ton of valuable centers in free agency anymore. One center the Knicks should sign that still remains unsigned at the moment is two-time all-star, Andre Drummond.
Drummond still has the physical prowess around the rim that New York would love to add with the loss of Robinson. As a member of the 76ers during the 25-26 regular season, the two-time all-star had 27 games where he recorded 10 rebounds or more. On November 23rd, the four-time NBA rebounding leader pulled down 24 rebounds during a 127-117 loss to the Miami Heat. He currently ranks 27th all-time in career rebounds with 11,513 and could very well be on his way to passing the great Knicks center Patrick Ewing this season. The departure of a great offensive rebounder and overall valuable defender like Robinson is hard to replace, but considering all options, Drummond may be the best option out there, given how great a rebounder and rim protector he is.
The two-time all-star played a big role for the Sixers last season when Joel Embiid was injured. Granted, if Towns needs a day off or gets injured, the Knicks should have a young center at hand, backing up the four-time NBA rebounding leader, but Drummond could fill a void at the rim and help be an offensive rebounding machine. While a younger center might give New York a different pace on the floor, having a veteran center at the rim who has nearly 15 years of experience under his belt could potentially help the Knicks flourish within the Eastern Conference standings during the 26-27 season. If New York wants to fill the void Robinson and Hukporti are leaving behind, they should consider signing Drummond.
