Report: Knicks ‘Audition’ Former Jazz Center

As they prepare to embark upon their most legitimately hopeful season in quite some time, the New York Knicks continue to make interior depth the center of attention.

Per a report from longtime NBA insider Marc Stein, the Knicks “auditioned” several centers to work on life after Mitchell Robinson, namely Omer Yurtseven, a 26-year-old center who most recently spent time with the Utah Jazz.

Yurtseven is an active free agent with three NBA seasons under his belt since entering the league as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina State in 2021. He has also registered minutes with the Miami Heat (appearing in eight games during their run to the NBA Finals in 2023) and has averaged 5.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in his NBA trio to date.

Amidst an eventful offseason, New York has somewhat neglected the five, especially after breakout depth star Isaiah Hartenstein fled for big bucks in Oklahoma City. As it stands, Jericho Sims figures to be the top pure backup center on the roster despite his struggles with cracking the regular rotation. New York did re-up with Precious Achiuwa recently but the former Toronto Raptor envisions himself as more of a power forward rather than a traditional five.

The fact that a relatively fringe name like Yurtseven appears to be the most notable name that the Knicks tried how speaks volumes about the lack of interior depth left on the board. The Knicks’ search may well extend into the regular season, as they could well wait out certain cases such as that of Robert Williams III in Portland. Williams is coming off an injury but could become a coveted depth star by the time the trade deadline hits.

With Yurtseven lacking a Knicks jersey, the backup center spot will continue to be a tightly-wound discussion well into training camp. The Knicks hold the first of five preseason games on Oct. 6 in Charlotte.

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