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Knicks Urged To Target Sharpshooting 13-Year Veteran Big Man
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- Knicks Urged To Target Sharpshooting 13-Year Veteran Big Man
Kelly Olynyk, New York Knicks
The New York Knicks are yet to sign a replacement for Ariel Hukporti. The franchise fell short in its pursuit of Jonas Valanciunas earlier this summer and saw the Dallas Mavericks match their offer sheet to Moussa Cisse.
Fortunately for the Knicks, there's a wealth of big man talent remaining on the free agency market. According to Kento Kato of Knicks on SI, 13-year NBA veteran Kelly Olynyk could be the ideal target to round out Mike Brown's center rotation.
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"By getting Olynyk, they'd be able to diversify their center room much more," Kato wrote. "He may not have played much last season in San Antonio, but as recently as 2024, he was a regular rotation player providing some nice minutes."
Kato continued.
"…Unlike some of the other big men available, Olynyk offers a different offensive profile. Previously mentioned options like Nick Richards and Yves Missi are centers who do little to no damage outside the paint. Olynyk doesn't have that problem."
Olynyk is a proven talent at the NBA level. He's played in 842 regular-season games, averaging 9.8 points, 5 rebounds and 2.4 assists, shooting 36.9% from deep and 56.9% from two-point range. Olynyk also boasts 57 playoff games' worth of experience.
Knicks Also Lost Mitchell Robinson This Summer
Earlier this summer, the New York Knicks made the difficult decision to allow Mitchell Robinson to leave in free agency.
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When speaking with Spotrac's Keith Smith at Las Vegas Summer League, a member of the Knicks front office shared their thoughts on Robinson's departure.
"Yeah, it's tough," the executive said. "You want to keep everyone, especially after you accomplish what we did together. But you just can't. We're excited to have Andre (Drummond) in the mix now. He's as good of a backup center as there is in the league. We'll miss Mitch for sure, but all you can do is keep moving forward."
Robinson has since signed with the Boston Celtics, inking a three-year $47.3 million contract.
Nick Richards Could Be Knicks' Best Choice
While Olynyk makes a lot of sense for the Knicks, Nick Richards is arguably the team's best choice to plug the third-string big man spot. The 28-year-old is entering his prime years and would provide both size and athleticism off the bench.
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Of course, New York would need to sell Richards on accepting such a minimal role within Mike Brown's rotation. After all, at his age, he'll likely be eager to land somewhere that can offer him significant playing time. Of course, at this late juncture of the offseason, Richards' options may be limited.
So, unless Richards plans on exploring his options away from the NBA, which most likely means around Europe, the Knicks could be a strong fit for him. At least that way, he could spend the season rebuilding his value while also contending for a championship.
If Richards can't be enticed by the Knicks' offer, then yes, Olynyk would likely become the ideal addition. After all, landing a veteran big who can space the floor, on a veteran minimum deal, is never a bad thing.
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