The New York Knicks‘ search for a backup big man stretched as far as taking a look at former Atlanta Hawks reserve center Bruno Fernando, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.
“Earlier in the offseason, the Knicks had some interest in signing Bruno Fernando. Fernando signed a nonguaranteed deal with the Raptors in early August,” Begley wrote on September 6.
The 6-foot-9 Fernando is the first NBA player from Angola.
Last season, Fernando averaged 6.3 points and career-highs 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 15.2 minutes off the bench for the Hawks. But he was waived after the Hawks landed Larry Nance Jr., another reported potential Knicks target, and Cody Zeller in the Dejounte Murray trade with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Fernando starred in Angola’s run in the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Manila, Philippines last year, averaging 11.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
The former University of Maryland standout was originally selected by the Philadelphia 76ers as the 34th overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft before he was traded to the Hawks.
In 203 career regular-season games, including 19 starts, with the Hawks, Boston Celtics, and Houston Rockets, Fernando averaged 4.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 10.7 minutes.
With Fernando off the free agent market, the Knicks also made an offer to former Utah Jazz big man Omer Yurtseven, per Begley. However, the Turkish big man opted to sign a more lucrative offer in the Euroleague with Greek club Panathinaikos.
Isaiah Hartenstein’s Departure Hurt Knicks Center Rotation
Isaiah Hartenstein left the Knicks, signing a three-year, $87 million with the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency. His departure weakened the Knicks’ center rotation, which Hollinger believes could impact the Knicks’ ability to contend.
“I can’t rate them the best defensive team in the NBA without Isaiah Hartenstein and with the injury-prone Robinson as the only rotation-caliber big man,” Hollinger told Katz.
Without Hartenstein, the Knicks have Achiuwa, Jericho Sims and rookie Ariel Hukporti, who is on a two-way deal, as their options to back up Robinson, which theoretically could work in the regular season but could haunt them in the playoffs.
The Knicks will sorely miss the Jalen Brunson-Hartenstein two-man game, which helped them clinch the No. 2 seed in the East after Randle went down with a shoulder injury in late January. But the hope is, a healthy Randle will be a much more potent pick-and-roll partner for Brunson.
On the defensive end, the Knicks are betting on OG Anunoby‘s return and the addition of Mikal Bridges to lessen the opponents’ drive to the basket, mitigating the impact of losing Hartenstein’s rim protection.
Julius Randle as Small-Ball Center
Fred Katz of The Athletic suggested that three-time All-Star forward Julius Randle could be the Knicks’ other option as a part-time center this upcoming season.
“Randle could jump into the role Isaiah Hartenstein played so effectively a season ago, fielding dump-offs from Brunson and heading downhill with three teammates and only three defenders in front of him,” Katz wrote on August 21. “That’s an advantage for the Knicks. If Randle is playing center, meaning Mitchell Robinson is not present to clog up the middle, an action like this becomes even more dangerous than the ones with Hartenstein, considering Randle’s All-Star ball skills and the top-notch shooters that could surround him.”
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has shied away from using Randle as a small-ball center when Obi Toppin was still with the Knicks. However, with strong perimeter defenders in Mikal Bridges and Anunoby, who can slide on the defensive end guarding centers, Thibodeau might be more open to playing Randle as a center in small-ball offense.
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Knicks Showed Interest in Angolan Big Man: Report