NBA
Three Centers Knicks Can Still Sign
The New York Knicks nearly have a full roster in the middle of August, but they could be looking for another center to help arm the frontcourt rotation.
That was evidenced by the team trying out former Miami Heat and Utah Jazz center Omer Yurtseven in recent days before he signed with Panathinaikos in Greece.
While Yurtseven didn’t pan out for the Knicks, here’s a look at three centers the team could sign in free agency right now:
Biyombo, 31, is entering his 14th season in the NBA and comes with a ton of experience playing in different systems throughout his long and arduous career.
He spent last season playing 40 games with the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder, making 27 starts towards the beginning of the season.
Biyombo is a veteran rim protector who can offer some mentorship to the younger players and some minutes to cover Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims if one or both of them were to get hurt.
McGee, 36, is one of just a handful of NBA veterans to have played in three different decades after being chosen in the first round of the 2008 draft.
McGee was last seen as a starter on the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers, who were NBA champions in the COVID-19 bubble. Since then, McGee has bounced around the league, playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and most recently, the Sacramento Kings.
McGee played 46 games for the Kings last season and could play a similar role for the Knicks in 2024-25.
Thompson, 33, has spent majority of his career with the Cavaliers, the team that chose him No. 4 overall in the 2011 NBA Draft.
After spending two seasons away, Thompson returned to Cleveland for the 2023-24 campaign, playing in 49 games for the team as a reserve big man.
Perhaps signing with the Knicks would give him an opportunity at one more championship, and his playoffs experience on those LeBron James Cleveland teams could lend some assistance for the Knicks.