Three Centers Knicks Can Still Sign

The New York Knicks are potentially still looking to sign a center.

Jeremy Brener | Aug 21, 2024

Apr 14, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center JaVale McGee (00) dribbles the ball next to Portland Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray (8) in the fourth quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports / Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

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New York Knicks

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:

Bismack Biyombo

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.

JaVale McGee

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.

Tristan Thompson

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.

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Published Aug 21, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.