The New York Knicks’ search for another center led them back to a familiar trade partner and a different New Orleans Pelicans big man.
The Knicks discussed a potential trade for Karlo Matkovic earlier this offseason, according to SNY’s Ian Begley, citing league sources. Those talks did not produce a deal, but New York’s interest offers another window into what the reigning NBA champions want behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond.
Matkovic, 25, would have given the Knicks an unusual third-center option: a 6-foot-10 rim protector who can finish above the basket and pull opposing big men away from it.
The Croatian center averaged 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 14.7 minutes across 62 games for New Orleans last season. He shot 60.4% from the field and 42.2% from the 3-point range, ranking 16th in the NBA in 3-point accuracy among players with at least 90 attempts.
That combination of efficiency, vertical athleticism and shooting explains why the Knicks investigated his availability.
Matkovic Would Add a Different Dimension
Getty Karlo Matkovic of the New Orleans Pelicans shoots against the Brooklyn Nets during their game at Barclays Center on April 08, 2025 in New York City.
New York’s first two centers occupy sharply defined roles. Towns is an All-Star scorer and floor spacer, while Drummond provides rebounding, physicality and veteran insurance.
Matkovic could offer elements of both in a younger, more mobile package. He runs the floor, finishes lobs and has enough timing around the rim to serve as a weak-side shot blocker. His improved outside shooting also suggests he could play alongside another big man instead of functioning exclusively as a traditional center.
The Pelicans exercised Matkovic’s $2.3 million team option for the 2026-27 season in June, retaining him on a low-cost contract. That affordability would have been particularly attractive to a Knicks team carefully navigating the second tax apron.
New Orleans selected Matkovic with the No. 52 pick in the 2022 NBA draft. He remained in Europe before joining the organization in 2024 and has since developed into a useful rotation big man.
The Knicks, meanwhile, have 13 players under standard contracts and can bring as many as 21 to training camp. Their most obvious vacancy is the third-center spot previously occupied by Ariel Hukporti.
Knicks Have Repeatedly Called Pelicans About Centers
Matkovic is not the first Pelicans center to attract New York’s attention.
The Knicks made multiple attempts to trade for Yves Missi after Mitchell Robinson left for the Boston Celtics, NBA TV insider Chris Haynes previously reported. New Orleans rejected those overtures and made clear it valued Missi, a younger, defense-first center who averaged 5.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks last season.
New York then signed restricted free agent Moussa Cisse to an offer sheet, only for the Dallas Mavericks to match it.
Those misses have left the Knicks surveying both the trade and free-agent markets. Begley reported that New York has contacted veteran centers who could fit the third-string role, but its reluctance to offer a guaranteed contract suggests no available option has separated himself.
The likeliest outcome may be inviting multiple veterans to camp and allowing them to compete for the final frontcourt job. The Matkovic inquiry, however, shows the Knicks remain interested in something more ambitious: a young, inexpensive center whose game still has room to grow.
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