The Denver Nuggets’ decision to waive Julian Reese should have immediately caught the New York Knicks’ attention.
Reese, the younger brother of Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese, became available after Denver acquired him from the Washington Wizards in the five-team sign-and-trade that sent Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
For the Nuggets, Reese was largely a piece of transactional machinery. For the Knicks, he could help replace a specific skill the team lost from its championship roster this offseason.
New York lost Mitchell Robinson to the Boston Celtics and Ariel Hukporti to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. Robinson was the NBA’s leading offensive rebounder by percentage and per-36-minute production last season, averaging 4.2 offensive boards in only 19.6 minutes. His 7.72 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes represented the highest single-season rate in league history.
The Knicks signed Andre Drummond, another accomplished rebounder, but replacing Robinson’s relentless work on the offensive glass should not be left to one player.
Reese offers an intriguing second option.
Julian Reese’s Best Skill Fits Knicks’ Need
Although Reese collected more defensive rebounds overall, offensive rebounding is his most distinctive skill.
Reese averaged 4.2 offensive rebounds in 30.9 minutes during his 13 appearances with Washington. That translates to 4.9 per 36 minutes, while his 14.4% offensive rebounding rate would have placed him among the NBA’s better rotation big men over a qualifying sample.
The trait has followed him at every stop. Reese averaged 2.9 offensive rebounds in only 19.1 minutes across his combined G League season. He also collected 2.7 per game during four years at Maryland, finishing second in program history with 1,015 total rebounds.
His most revealing NBA performance came in only his third game.
Reese amassed 18 points and 20 rebounds against Utah, splitting those boards evenly between the offensive and defensive glass. He became Washington’s first rookie with 20 rebounds since Tom Gugliotta in 1993 and only the third player in the previous 40 years to reach 20 rebounds within his first five NBA games, joining Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan.
Reese was also the first Wizards player since Antawn Jamison in 2010 to collect at least 10 offensive and 10 defensive rebounds in one game.
Ideal Two-Way Player for NYK
Three weeks later, Reese recorded 26 points and 17 rebounds on 12-of-16 shooting as Washington defeated Utah, 133-110, snapping a 16-game losing streak and avoiding a franchise-record 17th consecutive defeat.
Reese finished his rookie season averaging 11.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals. He started 10 of his 13 games and recorded four double-doubles within his first 10 appearances.
He remains an imperfect prospect. Reese is undersized for a full-time center, offers no proven 3-point shot and must improve defensively. But the Knicks would not need him to play immediate playoff minutes.
With two standard roster openings and all three two-way slots available, New York can develop Reese with Westchester without sacrificing flexibility. Hukporti’s departure also created an opening for another young center in the organization’s pipeline.
Reese cannot replace everything Robinson provided. But his offensive rebounding gives the Knicks a chance to recover some of the identity they lost—at virtually no cost.
Knicks Get Golden Opportunity to Add Record-Setting Rebounding Monster