The New York Knicks have spent months looking for another center. The names have changed, but the profile increasingly looks familiar.
Young. Athletic. Long enough to protect the rim. Ideally, someone who might still have room to grow.
That could be good news for James Wiseman.
SNY’s Ian Begley reported Thursday that the Knicks would prefer to add a center “on the younger side” as they continue evaluating their frontcourt. That detail provides some connective tissue between several of New York’s moves — and attempted moves — since losing Mitchell Robinson in free agency.
It also makes Wiseman, 25, an especially intriguing player in the Knicks’ training camp competition.
Wiseman is battling Drew Eubanks and Tony Bradley for a potential roster spot, but neither fits the youth profile quite like the former No. 2 overall pick.
Knicks Have Consistently Looked at Young Centers
New York’s pursuit of Moussa Cisse was the clearest example.
The Knicks signed the then-23-year-old Cisse to a two-year, $4.7 million offer sheet in July before the Dallas Mavericks matched it. The door officially shut after the Mavericks guaranteed Cisse’s contract.
Cisse averaged 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks as a rookie while offering the type of length and athleticism New York lost when Robinson departed.
Cisse wasn’t an isolated target.
The Knicks also explored the trade market for New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi and monitored Charlotte Hornets big man Moussa Diabaté during the offseason as they searched for younger options in the frontcourt.
Missi, 22, and Diabaté, 24, fit the same general profile: developmental big men with size, mobility and upside.
The Knicks ultimately came away without either.
Now Wiseman is standing in their gym.
James Wiseman Fits in What New York is Looking
Wiseman isn’t the same player as Cisse, Missi or Diabaté. His NBA résumé is longer, his injury history more extensive and the expectations attached to him once were significantly greater.
But the attraction isn’t difficult to understand.
Wiseman is 7-foot with a 7-foot-6 wingspan and remains young enough to believe his best basketball might not be behind him. The Golden State Warriors selected him second overall in the 2020 NBA draft, but injuries and instability have prevented him from establishing himself over stops with Golden State, Detroit and Indiana.
The Knicks signed him to an Exhibit 9 contract in September, giving him an opportunity to compete in camp rather than guaranteeing him anything.
Coach Mike Brown, who worked with Wiseman in Golden State, explained this week why he still sees something worth developing.
“When you’re that long and that athletic with skill — yeah, skill — there’s a place for you in this league,” Brown told reporters.
Brown also suggested Wiseman’s career might require something that has eluded him so far.
“Sometimes it takes the right moment, the right team, the right situation,” Brown said.
New York may or may not become that situation. Wiseman still has to outperform Eubanks and Bradley, and the Knicks could continue searching outside the organization.
But after months of chasing young, athletic centers, the Knicks already have one in camp.
And his coach believes he belongs.
Knicks’ Latest Center Search Reveals Intriguing Clue