The New York Knicks have been on the hunt for new center depth this offseason, particularly in the wake of the departure of Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti.
Robinson ended up signing with the Boston Celtics, and the Knicks, in a corresponding move, pivoted to veteran center Andre Drummond to help fill his shoes.
Hukporti signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, leaving New York without a third center.
They attempted to sign restricted free agent Moussa Cissé, but the Dallas Mavericks matched the offer sheet.
The Knicks are slowly running out of options for depth at center, and the best course of action may end up circling back to another team they reportedly tried to reach out to earlier in the offseason.
Pelicans May Have Softened Trade Stance
Earlier in the offseason, the New York Knicks reportedly tried to reach out to the New Orleans Pelicans regarding the availability of center Yves Missi.
NBA insider Chris Haynes revealed that the Pelicans felt Missi was a “vital core figure” and were not willing to trade him.
However, a recent report from The Stein Line indicated that New Orleans may be softening their trade stance on young blue-chip players.
“We’ve been writing for some time that the Pelicans continue to swat away trade interest in swingmen Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones. No change on those fronts. However…” Reported The Stein Line.
“League sources say that New Orleans has been exploring various trade frameworks to send out former lottery pick Jordan Hawkins for some potential roster and financial flexibility.”
Obviously, the report doesn’t name Missi or even Karlo Matkovic, another center option that has been linked to the Knicks this summer.
But if they’re willing to talk trade on the 14th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, why wouldn’t they also listen on some of their reserve big men?
Knicks Should Be Interested in 2 Pelicans Bigs
While the New York Knicks continue their search for a third-string center, the New Orleans Pelicans boast two intriguing options for the team’s hopeful title defense.
Missi, of course, is the top option. The 6-foot-11 only has two years of NBA experience under his belt but has shown to be a high-upside player.
This past season, he played just under 20 minutes per game and averaged 5.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.
Missi is also under reasonable financial control for the next two seasons, with a team option ahead of the 2027-28 season.
If the Pelicans are still unwilling to deal him, the Knicks could also turn to Matkovic, New Orleans’ other reserve center.
While not as dominating a presence as Missi, Matkovic has proven to be a reliable perimeter shooter. He shot 42.2% from deep in 2025-26.
That’s a valuable skill for a 6-foot-10 big, and a trait that’s shared by starting center Karl-Anthony Towns.
Matkovic could allow the Knicks’ bench unit to not skip a step whenever Towns comes off the floor.
Either way, if New York could get their hands on one of these centers, it would be a massive win for their offseason.
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