Knicks' Center Situation Is Far From Solved Despite Wiseman, Eubanks Signings

After months of failing to add any center help, the Knicks finally did so this week, inking both James Wiseman and Drew Eubanks to deals. Wiseman is an intriguing big with upside, while Eubanks is a solid veteran with a proven skill set fit for a third-string role.

This makes both players worth a closer look this preseason. But, the reality is their arrivals don't actually mark the end of the center search for New York.

Knicks have multiple center possibilities even after signing James Wiseman and Drew Eubanks

First and foremost, it's important to note that both are coming in only on a tryout basis. Each player has their own flaws that's led them to sit on the open market all summer long, and the Knicks giving them non-guaranteed deals (which allows either guy to be cut at at any time) reinforces that they're no roster locks.

For Wiseman, he's the classic case of an exciting, but flawed, player with potential that might not ever truly pay out. He's faced multiple major knee injuries in his young career, causing the former No. 2 overall pick to go from a franchise building block to fighting to keep his NBA career alive.

Then there's Eubanks, who doesn't appear to offer the biggest of ceilings. His average of 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds over 22 starts for the Blazers in 2021-22 was promising, but his numbers and usage have only declined from there, which isn't a good sign. He's also now nearing 30 years old and fresh off of seeing only 13.1 minutes a night for a Kings team that finished 22-60, so there's major questions about how much he can truly add to a contender.

Wiseman and Eubanks need to separately prove they're worth making the roster. New York has no strings attached with either, so it can cut bait with zero repercussions if either (or both) don't reach the level of play it needs to feel comfortable about signing them.

In addition, it's entirely possible the Knicks aren't that high on either player, but instead are hosting a competition—just in case a surprise emerges—while they bide their time for another center to come available.

There's still over a month for New York to work the phones and land a more premium third big via trade. While a deal for popular targets like Moussa Diabate, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Yves Missi and Karlo Matković didn't come to fruition, their teams could have a change of heart once they have a better idea of their outlook this preseason. Old friend Jericho Sims is another big that makes sense to pursue.

In addition, there's possible cut candidates like Micah Potter, Christian Koloko, Ben Simmons, Charles Bassey, Johni Broome and Mo Bamba that could shake loose in the coming weeks as franchises are forced to whittle down their roster numbers before opening night. There's an argument several of those players could be better as the Knicks' third big over Wiseman or Eubanks, so Leon Rose has zero need to commit to either of his new signings if they don't impress this preseason.

Wiseman or Eubanks certainly could impress enough in camp to land the job, at least for the start of the season. With Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond doing the heavy lifting, a third big only needs to fill a few minutes, and both recent additions could do that, in theory.

But even a small role like this is more important for the defending champs. That's especially so with needing to keep Towns fresh after a laborious playoff run and Drummond coming with availability concerns.

All of this makes it a priority, then, for New York to not just sign someone that can play, but actually make a difference with the opportunity. It is a legitimate unknown if Eubanks or Wiseman meets that high bar, so their signings represent just one of several possible solutions to the third-string problem.

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