The New York Knicks have their Mitchell Robinson replacement.
The reigning champions have agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million contract with veteran big man Andre Drummond, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Drummond figures to work as the backup center behind starter Karl-Anthony Towns.
The deal is New York’s answer to the only major departure from their championship team. Robinson’s rebounding and interior defense were invaluable off the bench and the package earned him a three-year, $47.4 million payday with the Boston Celtics.
The Knicks have so far been able to retain the likes of Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado and Mohamed Diawara, but owner James Dolan’s refusal to go over the second apron made someone’s exit inevitable.
In Drummond, the Knicks get a player who is four years older, but has a game fairly similar to Robinson’s. No sober coach is going to ask either player to create something off the dribble, though Drummond did make 35.6% of a career-high 90 3-point attempts last season (Robinson has never attempted a 3-pointer in an NBA game).
Both men instead make their money off the boards, and Drummond still rebounds at an elite rate at age 32. He’s a step behind on defense, but those are the sacrifices made when one player costs $15.8 million per year and the other costs $3.9 million.
The Knicks will be Drummond’s seventh career team after two seasons in Philadelphia, where he operated behind Joel Embiid.
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