SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 20: Kevon Looney #5 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket against Maxi Kleber #42 of the Dallas Mavericks during the fourth quarter in Game Two of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals at Chase Center on May 20, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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The New York Knicks are looking to repeat as NBA champions, but it’ll require a couple of more pieces.
Wednesday, Mitchell Robinson was reported to have signed a three-year contract with the Boston Celtics, which takes away one of the greatest strengths from the team. New York has been able to juice up the bench by bringing back Mo Diawara, Landry Shamet and Jose Alvarado but depth at center is essential in the NBA today.
It is now well known that the team is unable to operate above the 2nd apron, which handicaps them to dole out a large contract to plug up the hole. They used $3.9 million to pay up for Andre Drummond, but it still feels like they need additional depth at the position. They still have room to add two players at the veteran minimum.
The available options are uninspiring but the Knicks front office has shown itself to be resourceful. Whoever they choose this summer doesn’t have to be the answer now— February is still far away and they have some ammunition to make a trade. Just look at the Jose Alvarado addition and how much he helped save the season.
Kevon Looney
Looney checks off a few boxes that may make him an intriguing option for the Knicks. He has certified success playing on multiple championship teams and even enjoyed one of those accomplishments with Knicks head coach Mike Brown. That level of relationship turned to envy when Brown was forced to coach against him when he went to Sacramento:
“A lot of people say that Steph’s 50-point performance was Game 7 was our downfall. But Steph is a great player. It’s going to be hard to stop Steph,” Brown told Sportskeeda. “I’ve been a part of many NBA championships with Steph knowing that everybody is gameplanning to stop him. He still goes and gets his. Where we lost that series is the rebounding department. Kevon Looney has a heck of a series. In that Game 7, if we could’ve controlled the boards, even with Steph’s 50, I thought we would’ve had a much better chance of winning the game.”
Looney will never be able to replicate what Robinson can bring to the table, but he may be the best facsimile. His offensive rebounding rate has consistently been excellent throughout his career—posting an offensive rebounding rate in the top 20 percent among big men in each of the past five seasons. That level of hustle is a characteristic the organization has seemed to value over the past few years at center.
The fear is that he is over the hill. He is only 30 years old, but needed surgery to repair torn labrums in both sides of his hips when he first entered the league. Yet, he has still logged at least 70 games played in four of the past five seasons. A poor environment last season may have contributed to his reduced production and a return to a winning organization may turn that around.
James Edwards and Fred Katz mentioned Looney directly as a possible replacement for Robinson, but it was refuted by Stefan Bondy. Time will tell whether the veteran ultimately lands in New York.
Nick Richards
There has been speculation in the past that Richards could be a fit as a third center in New York. The 28-year-old has bounced around the league over the past couple of seasons after finding some initial success in Charlotte. His offensive efficiency is intriguing as he has posted above a 60 percent true shooting percentage in four of his six seasons playing in the NBA. That efficiency far outpaces Looney and his total rebounding percentage for his career clocks in right around his number, as well.
The trouble with Richards is the impact he has on the team around him. The offensive rating when he’s been on the floor throughout his career is pretty poor, even though he has shown himself to be efficient. Defensively he has good size, but isn’t impactful at protecting the rim.
Maxi Kleber
The interesting thing about Kleber is that he offers a different play style compared to some of the other options on the list. He gives the team a bonafide three-point option as he has drained over 35 percent of his looks from deep throughout his career.
There are a few negatives, though. His injury history is robust as he hasn’t played more than 50 games since the 2021-22 season. On top of that, he has historically been an atrocious rebounder— the 30-year-old has a rebounding percentage rated among the worst at his position.
The offensive versatility could make his pairing with Drummond interesting. He provides a different skill that could make him attractive as a third option, which could give an alternative look for Brown to look to if Drummond is struggling. Yet, it would be outside of the box for the Knicks to sign a player with this type of résumé.