Knicks Urged To Fix Major Team Weakness Before Trade Deadline

The New York Knicks have gotten off to a decent start this season. Expectations were high for them to be among the league’s elite, but through 14 games, they sit at 9-5.

The NBA season is still young, and there’s plenty of basketball left to play. That said, some big questions about the Knicks remain. New York sits as the No. 3 seed in the East, but it is clear that their roster needs some upgrades. 

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One of the Knicks’ biggest needs, at least according to ESPN NBA insider Zach Kram, is a proven, reliable backup center.

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Kram detailed in his latest column that New York may need reinforcements in that department. 

“The Knicks are rather well-rounded without any gaping roster holes. But given center Mitchell Robinson’s injury history, New York could use another proven center as insurance for the postseason. Continuing a trend from the 2024-25 playoffs, Robinson has been crucial to the Knicks’ performance this season: New York has a plus-15.2 net rating when he’s their center, according to Cleaning the Glass, compared with a plus-7.0 when Karl-Anthony Towns is the lone big, a plus-3.2 when Guerschon Yabusele plays small-ball center, and a minus-11.6 when little-used Ariel Hukporti mans the middle.

“In theory, Yabusele should be able to function as the extra big New York needs behind Robinson and Towns. In practice, the celebrated free agent signing hasn’t lived up to expectations in New York, averaging just 2.6 points in 10.2 minutes.” 

The Knicks arguably need more depth at their big man position. While Mitchell Robinson was spectacular in the postseason, given his ongoing minutes restriction and injury history, he is not a reliable option for the Knicks, who have high hopes this season.

New York upgraded their backcourt ahead of the season, but now their focus will shift to acquiring a big man. The Knicks will have some options out there, including Nikola Vucevic, Lauri Markkanen and Daniel Gafford, to name a few.

The Knicks have ample time to upgrade, and there is little doubt they’ll do so before the February 6 deadline.

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