After the departure of center Isaiah Hartenstein, who started 49 games last season and became a key figure for the Knicks with his defense, rebounding, and playmaking, New York is left without an established second option in the interior. While seventh year big man Mitchell Robinson is expected to start, he has struggled with injuries his entire career.

So what exactly is their plan beyond him? Well, they have several options to consider, including backup players, trade targets, and even position switches.

1. Jericho Sims

Sims, a fourth year player without much experience in the rotation, is finally expected to be given the chance to contribute this season. When he has played, Sims has demonstrated proficiency in interior defense and rebounding, particularly in regards to offensive putbacks and keeping possessions alive.

While rim protection is one of his greatest strengths, Sims can also play solid transition defense, which is especially useful for a center. He can provide valuable support with help defense as well, and maintains a relatively low foul rate across the board.

On offense, Sims’ role is relatively small, as he can’t really dribble or provide much value when actively defended. However, he is quite adept at timing his cuts, and is also athletic enough to be used as a threat for lobs.

Overall, while Sims is more than likely to open as the backup center, he must demonstrate greater consistency in a larger role to secure a permanent spot in the rotation.

2. Ariel Hukporti

Hukporti, a rookie who was drafted with the final pick of the 2024 NBA draft, is also expected to compete for a place on the roster. He has played in the Australian NBL since 2021 with Melbourne United, where he stood out due to his athleticism and high motor. At 7'0" and 245 pounds, his stature and athleticism position him as a significant threat for lobs and offensive putbacks. It also enhances his ability to defend the paint, where he excels at shot-blocking.

In the NBL, Hukporti scored much of his points through his post game and the pick and roll, which might not translate against quicker and stronger defenders. Additionally, the Knicks are a very iso heavy team, which means he probably won’t get to run the pick and roll very much either. However, he does have good awareness and basketball intelligence, which sets him up well for cutting to the basket after the team’s playmakers can open up space.

Overall, while Hukporti will challenge Sims for minutes, his lack of NBA experience may prove to be an obstacle in securing much playing time. Despite this, his upside is arguably higher than Sims’, due to his youth and superior athleticism.

3. Julius Randle/OG Anunoby

While Randle and Anunoby are clearly much more talented than Sims and Hukporti, they are also significantly smaller. The two of them are 2-3 inches shorter than Sims, which will create an interesting challenge when guarding taller and more established centers.

However, using Randle and Anunoby in limited situations could provide a few benefits. Firstly, it would lower the impact needed from a backup center, as the two of them could eat into Sims’ and Hukporti’s minutes. If Sims and Hukporti are struggling to begin the season, these ‘small ball’ lineups could help give them the time they need to adjust to their increased playing time.

While Randle would not provide much on the defensive end in these minutes, he could conceivably make up for this with his offensive value. And while Anunoby is substantially undersized, he can effectively guard every position. This coupled with the offseason acquisition of elite perimeter defender Mikal Bridges makes guarding the interior an effective use of Anunoby’s strengths.

Overall, while this is not a permanent solution, it does provide the team with the necessary support to adapt to life without Hartenstein, while also giving them ample time to address their situation before the playoffs.

4. Trade Targets

If Sims, Hukporti, and the cobbled minutes of Randle and Anunoby are not resulting in enough success, the Knicks could consider trading for a proven center. However, this move will not be cheap, and depending on how talented the center is, could require them to part with valuable assets such as Randle and backup point guard Deuce McBride. Nevertheless, if a backup center is proving to be enough of a need for New York, they will probably be seeking a solution anyway.

Two of these trade candidates include centers Jalen Duren and Jonas Valanciunas of the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards, respectively.  Duren is only 20 years old, and has clearly established himself as one of the league’s centers of the future. However, trading for him will not be cheap, and the Pistons may not even want to trade him in the first place.

Valanciunas, who just signed with Washington in free agency, isn’t eligible to be traded until December. However, the Wizards are projected to be one of the worst teams in the league, and if they aren’t seriously in contention by the trade deadline, he could definitely be on the market. While both of these players have relatively high price tags, they can also create offense while still playing strong interior defense, which is a combination that none of the previously suggested options had.

If this price is too high however, other targets could include centers Kevon Looney (who is undersized, but has valuable playoff experience), Nick Richards (who has more experience than Sims and Hukporti, but doesn’t add anything special), and Steven Adams (who is another strong veteran, although he is coming off of a major knee injury). While each of these options have their detriments, they all provide more stability to the position than the current setup, which could prove crucial in playoff series against teams with elite centers, particularly Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Overall, while a trade might not be necessary, the Knicks should keep their options open, particularly if they get off to a slow start.