Knicks News: “Background Work” Done on Blazers Star Trade as Jalen Brunson & Co Aim to Fill Major Void

The New York Knicks have a roster packed with glamorous NBA superstars. As an Eastern force, they seem to be among the favorites to take down the resilient Boston Celtics. But there is still a major concern yet to be addressed. With Mitchell Robinson out for the first few months, the Big Apple has no seasoned center on their roster. The loss of Isaiah Hartenstein continues to sting. The franchise though is trying to find a replacement.

In the past few days, several names have floated around. Notably, Deandre Ayton of the Trail Blazers has emerged as an ideal candidate. According to Ian Begley, the Knicks have been following the rebounding center for a while. “I’d add Ayton to the list because the Knicks have had interest in him — and have done background work on him — in the past” he wrote.

Ayton is part of a Portland team that now has three starting-caliber centers after Donovan Clingan’s arrival. The UConn star is projected to be the starting center on the young Trail Blazers team that is trying to recoup from a last-place finish in the West. Ayton’s post-All-Star break display appealed to the Knicks. With Robinson’s health always a lingering issue, the franchise has looked into possibly trading for Ayton.

However, it isn’t all that easy.

The Knicks aren’t willing to make an immediate push due to the ‘trust’ they have in their current roster. Furthermore, if they were to add Ayton it would come at a hefty price. Begley claims either DiVincenzo, Josh Hart or Julius Randle would need to be part of the trade. All of them are favored members of Thibs’ system which relies on tenacious defense and energetic play.

It will all come down to just how dire a need for a center proves to be for the Knicks near the deadline. They still have a young group with Achiuwa, Jericho Sims, and rookie Ariel Hukporti. But Ayton brings not only the offensive glass crashing they lost with Hartenstein but also deep playoff experience having been to the NBA Finals with the Suns.

Luckily, Thibs has a sound plan in motion, and it could prove it be of immense help till Robinson returns.

Julius Randle is the key for Jalen Brunson and the Knicks

In his reports, Ian Begley states that there is no state of panic in the Knicks front office. Their roster has decorated superstar, but the vital quality happens to be their versatility. Their center rotation will still play a large chunk of the minutes at center. However, Thibadeau has also flirted with the plan of having Julius Randle, a forward play the spot.

“We could see Julius more at the 5. I don’t want to do that for long stretches, it would take its toll, but to have him do it for 10 or 15 minutes, I think he can do it well,” the celebrated coach said. Is it a viable strategy?

At 6’8″ and 250 lbs, Julius Randle is a powerhouse who thrives when playing through contact. His brutal offense has earned him three All-Star nods. But when matched up against a center, it’s always a gamble. Naturally, due to their towering size, Randle has allowed them to shoot 57% when matched up against them.

However, the Knicks playing small ball can equate to them drilling rivals with their elite distance shooting unit. Randle is obviously one of them. When guarded by centers, his offense hasn’t wavered. He shot 54% in possessions when defended by a center. But the most marveling outcome was the improvement in his three-point shooting which jumped to 42%.

In those compact stretches, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks can evolve into becoming a perimeter-heavy system that utilizes Randle’s floor spacing to force the center out of the paint. With the contingent of Brunson, Bridges, and Anunoby, the Big Apple has players that are prolific near the rim Taking the big out of the equation gives them an easy passage into the lane.

With the formidable pieces around, Randle can simply act as a decoy. And in other times, he can take advantage of the center’s slow pace and create his own attacking spaces. With that in place, it doesn’t seem like the Knicks will expend any resources to bring in Ayton or any other center till Robinson returns.

But do you think they should? Let us know your views in the comments below.