It is only a matter of before the New York Knicks add another big man. Even if they didn’t lose Mitchell Robinson, they would still want a third center on the roster. The urgency to get one has only increased now that he’s repping the Boston Celtics. 

Rest assured, Andre Drummond is a quality addition at the minimum. In many ways, he is also a reasonable approximation of Robinson himself. But at 33, with limited mobility on the perimeter and around the basket on the defensive end, he can’t be the only answer the Knicks have behind Karl-Anthony Towns.

The importance of acquiring another big man only increases if New York wants the option of playing two centers at once. The Drummond-Towns pairing would get flamed on the defensive end, and not because of KAT.

Plenty of names are naturally being mentioned as trade targets. Moussa Diabate, Dylan Cardwell, Ke’lel Ware, old friend Jericho Sims, Jay Huff, Dereck Lively II—the list goes on. And on. And onward still.

This list, however, does not include the three names we are about to discuss. All of these centers fit within the Knicks’ tight salary structure and are capable of taking on backup center reps, as well as dual-big stints alongside KAT. 

Granted, not all of them will be readily obtainable at this moment. But New York’s search for a better backup big than Drummond needn’t end now. It just has to conclude before the playoffs begin, and the Knicks’ title defense really starts. 

To keep things interesting, we’ve ranked each target in order of ambition. The most gettable name will come first. The final one, meanwhile, will require a more aggressive push.

3. Micah Potter, Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers claimed Micah Potter off waivers from the Indiana Pacers earlier this summer. By all appearances, they were smart to do so.

Potter is on the books for just over $2.8 million, and he’s working off a season in which he canned 42.3 percent of his triples on nearly seven attempts per 36 minutes. Spending so much time above the three-point line minimizes his impact on the offensive glass, but at 6’9”, he’s relatively scrappy on the defensive boards.

Fortunately for the Knicks, the Blazers have a trillion centers. Unless Portland plans to move Yang Hansen, Robert Williams III (trade-eligible December 15) or Donovan Clingan ahead of February’s deadline, Potter should eventually be gettable for second-round compensation.

He might even be up for grabs right now.

2. Luka Garza, Boston Celtics

Like Potter, Luka Garza is also a floor-spacing big man making just $2.8 million next season. Unlike Potter, he has shown to be more of a force cleaning up his own team’s misses.

Through five NBA seasons, Garza has notched a career offensive rebounding percentage of 15.8. That mark ranks eighth in the entire league among everyone who has logged at least 2,000 total minutes over this period.

On top of that, Garza nailed 43.3 percent of treys on over four attempts per 36 minutes. Clingan and Dennis Rodman are the only other players in NBA history to notch an offensive rebounding rate north of 15 while drilling 50-plus threes in the same season.

The Boston Celtics usually wouldn’t be looking to do the Knicks any favors. But their decision to trade Jaylen Brown suggests they’re playing a longer-term game. Flipping Garza’s expiring contract to New York when they just signed Robinson and extended Neemias Queta hardly seems like it’d be out of the question.

1. Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies

Nothing out there suggests the Grizzlies are looking to offload Zach Edey. At the same time, the 24-year-old has durability concerns. He’s already undergone multiple left ankle surgeries since entering the league.

Edey also isn’t the most intuitive fit alongside Cam Boozer in the front court. Neither has the foot speed or raw athleticism to guard in space. With the Grizzlies also catering to their bigger picture, this could open a window of opportunity for the Knicks between now and the February 11 trade.

Of course, Edey is on the highest-end of potential targets. His $6.3 million salary necessitates including Deuce McBride and Pacome Dadiet in any package, and New York would still have to tack on other sweeteners. Not just second-round picks, either. This isn’t “give up the 2033 first-rounder” territory, but Edey is probably costing a one of the Knicks’ first-round swaps.

The 7’3” behemoth is worth the dice roll. He ranks fifth in offensive rebounding percentage since entering the league (minimum 1,000 minutes), can score out of the post or from beyond the arc, sets good screens, and has proven to be a dominant rim protector when he plays. 

Thanks to KAT’s perimeter mobility, playing Edey as part of two-center lineups would be on the table, too. And with two more seasons (including 2026-27) left on his rookie-scale deal, his pay grade fits the Knicks’ increasingly expensive salary structure.

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