Alexander Wilson
Jonas Valanciunas is available, and the Knicks should at least make the call.
Denver waived the veteran big man after carrying a $10 million salary with only $2 million owed, which makes him an interesting low-cost target for a contender. The Knicks already added Andre Drummond, so this is not a desperate center hunt. It is more about whether they want another bruising option behind Karl-Anthony Towns before the market dries up.
Valanciunas averaged 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in 13 minutes per game last season while shooting 58.2 percent from the field. Jonas Valanciunas is not going to sprint around like a modern switch big, but he still knows how to screen, rebound, punish smaller bodies, and keep a second unit from getting pushed around.
I get why the Knicks would be careful. They are trying to avoid apron problems, and they already chose Drummond as the cheap backup-center play. Adding another veteran big only makes sense if the price stays painless and the role is understood from the start.
Knicks can chase size without begging for minutes
The fit is pretty simple. Valanciunas would give the Knicks a different kind of center insurance.
Drummond is the chaos rebounder. Towns is the offensive engine. Valanciunas would be the slow, strong, half-court big who can buy ten minutes when the matchup gets ugly or when foul trouble starts messing with the rotation.
There is also the Leon Rose piece. Valanciunas has ties to the Knicks president, and those relationships matter on the margins when the market gets thin. It does not guarantee anything, but it makes the connection worth watching.
The Europe threat keeps this moving
Valanciunas still has overseas interest, so this cannot drag forever. If he wants real NBA minutes, the Knicks might not be the cleanest path. If he wants a title chase, a limited role, and a familiar front office, the pitch is not bad.
The Knicks do not need to act like this is some franchise-shifting move. It is a bench decision. But bench decisions matter when the season gets long, and a $10 million center hitting the market for cheap is worth more than a shrug.
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