The New York Knicks will be banking on the health of Mitchell Robinson to fortify their frontcourt depth. The Knicks were in the mix for several big men before the trade deadline, but they wound up making no major additions.
Knicks could pursue Mo Bamba for center depth
Robinson is expected to make his long-awaited return in the coming days. He has not played a game this season after undergoing offseason ankle surgery last year, and the Knicks have been searching for ways to fill the void left by his absence.
Even with him coming back, Robinson has a history of sustaining serious injuries that keep him out for long periods. Therefore, they likely still need a depth addition in the frontcourt. Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Brener suggested former first-round pick Mo Bamba as an option they could pursue.
“They hope Robinson can be what they are looking for, but in case he isn’t, the Knicks may want to look at signing free agent center Mo Bamba,” Brener wrote.
Bamba could be a key depth piece in the frontcourt
The 26-year-old big man is in his seventh NBA and is currently a free agent after being traded to the Utah Jazz by the Los Angeles Clippers and was subsequently waived by Utah. This season, he has played in 28 games and is averaging 4.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and a block per game.
Given that New York already has Karl-Anthony Towns at the center position, Bamba wouldn’t receive a ton of playing time if he were to join the Knicks. However, they wouldn’t need him to as he would merely serve as depth if one of their main rotation pieces went down. Additionally, Bamba can provide some size and rim protection that New York has largely been without this year.
If the Knicks want to sign Bamba, they would have to wait until after Feb. 28 to avoid going over the second apron. That could be problematic for them as a lot of the top available free agents could be off the board by that date. Therefore, if he is still available on the market, the Knicks should gauge his interest and possibly make a small offer to give them depth the rest of the way.