After winning a championship for the first time in 53 years, the Knicks kept much of their roster intact for the 2026-27 NBA season. The only big change from the offseason could have ramifications for the team’s hopes of producing similar results.
The Knicks let center Mitchell Robinson walk in free agency. Robinson signed a three-year, $47.4 million deal with the Atlantic Division rival Boston Celtics.
To shore up the backup five spot, New York signed veteran center Andre Drummond to a one-year, $3.9 million contract. A two-time All-Star, Drummond has been a productive player for much of his 14-year NBA career.
At 33 years old, Drummond is a downgrade from Robinson, but he can be an important contributor off the bench. Some of Drummond’s best skills blend well with New York’s philosophy. Robinson was arguably the best offensive rebounder in the NBA. Drummond is not exactly on that level, but it is a strength. Of players who played in at least 40 games last season, Drummond was fifth in offensive rebound rate, grabbing 14.5 percent of available offensive boards.
Creating extra opportunities has been a key part of New York’s strategy to win games. The Knicks finished seventh in offensive rebound rate during the regular season, and third in the playoffs. Listed at 279 pounds, Drummond is also a very good screener for his teammates. He led all players in screen assist points per 36 minutes during the playoffs.
Drummond has added the three-point shot to his skill set. After knocking down just 23 trifectas in his first 13 seasons, the big man made 32-of-90 treys (35.6 percent) last season. However, virtually all of those shots were wide open. Per NBA Stats, in 89 of those 90 three-point attempts, the closest defender to Drummond was 4 feet or more away.
If teams are willingly conceding that corner three to Drummond, it will gum up the paint, limiting driving lanes for New York’s other players. Knicks head coach Mike Brown would likely prefer having Drummond in the paint to cause havoc on the offensive glass, rather than standing idle in the corners.
Weaknesses
There are deficiencies to watch with Drummond. He’s been a weak finisher around the basket. According to NBA Stats, Drummond shot just 54.1 percent in the restricted area. Robinson was much more efficient around the basket, converting on 71.9 percent of his attempts. He was also a lob threat the Knicks will miss that next season.
Unless it’s an easy dunk, Drummond will likely have a hard time scoring efficiently close. Dunks are becoming a rarity for the veteran center, who had just 33 stuffs last season. According to Basketball Reference, just 12.2 percent of Drummond’s field goal attempts last season were dunks, the lowest figure of his career.
Another concern with Drummond will be on the defensive end. He will swat the occasional shot and is passable when it comes to defending the paint. But he lacks the mobility to switch on defense or cover a lot of ground. New York’s perimeter players at times will have to cover up for those limitations.
Drop-off
In replacing Robinson with Drummond, the Knicks are capable of contending for a championship. But this trade-off limits New York’s tool kit for the postseason. When the Knicks needed a defensive stop down the stretch in the NBA Finals, Robinson was on the floor. He forced Spurs star Victor Wembanyama into two missed shots in the closing moments of Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Drummond is unlikely to be relied on for defensive stops. Also, his pick-and-roll defense will be tested in the East against guards like Donovan Mitchell, Tyrese Maxey and Tyrese Haliburton.
Financially, the move does make sense. Robinson only played 13.9 minutes a night during the postseason and never recorded over 20 minutes in any of New York’s 19 playoff contests. It would’ve been difficult to pay him nearly $16 million annually in such a small role with New York’s second apron constraints.
The Knicks also lost third center Ariel Hukporti to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. The lack of a third center might also push the Knicks to other strategies. There could be more scenarios where they go small with OG Anunoby at center, depending on opponent matchups.
The Knicks unsuccessfully pursued Dallas Mavericks center Moussa Cisse in July, and SNY’s Ian Begley reported that New York looked at a trade for New Orleans Pelicans center Karlo Matkovic. The club could also look for a center who’s either a more capable switch defender or a stretch five between now and the trade deadline in February.
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