The New York Knicks lost center Isaiah Hartenstein to the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency. Hartenstein, who filled in effectively for Mitchell Robinson during his injury, demonstrated his value as a player capable of contributing to a championship-caliber team.
With Hartenstein’s departure, the Knicks may look to sign a new backup center. Chris Herring of ESPN suggested one in his recent column, listing six top free agents still available. Herring recommended that the Knicks sign former Philadelphia 76ers center Paul Reed.
“The 25-year-old big man, whom the Philadelphia 76ers waived to make space to sign Martin, would fit seamlessly on the Knicks, who lost Isaiah Hartenstein to the Oklahoma City Thunder this offseason. New York still has Mitchell Robinson — who excels on the offensive glass (6.7 rebounds per 36 minutes) and as a defensive presence — when he’s available; however, the center has played more than 70 games in a season only once in his six-year NBA career,” Herring wrote on July 8.
“Reed, however, played in all 82 regular-season games for the Sixers last season and is almost equally relentless on the boards, finishing ninth in the league in offensive rebounding percentage among players who appeared in at least 60 games this past season.”During the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs, the New York Knicks faced the Philadelphia 76ers, who had secured the No. 7 seed after winning their Play-In Game against the Miami Heat.
Had they lost, they would have faced the Boston Celtics for the No. 8 seed.
In an episode of “Run It Back” on FanDuel TV, Reed commented on the Knicks being “the easier team.”
“We ain’t ducking no smoke, but yeah, we wanted the Knicks matchup, of course. That’s the easier team I guess,” Reed said. “But you know it’s going to be fun. We match up pretty well. They got a great guard, we got a great guard, we also got Joel, MVP, so like you said earlier, he’s one of the most unstoppable guys in the league right now. They’re gonna have to send triple teams, and he’s gonna get everybody else involved.”
Knicks forward Josh Hart responded, “I don’t care,” when asked about Reed’s comments. The Knicks eventually won the series, eliminating Reed and the 76ers.
How Reed Could Help the Knicks
Despite Reed’s comments, the New York Knicks could use a backup center, and he’s arguably the best remaining on the market.
In the 2023-24 season, Reed played the most minutes of his career and appeared in all 82 games, averaging 7.3 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 54.0% from the field.
Reed seemed to understand his role with the 76ers, and he would likely play a similar role in New York.
Given Robinson’s history of injuries, the Knicks need a reliable backup center. Reed could provide that support and step into the starting role when necessary.
