Knicks Have Another Center to Keep Tabs on After Pelicans' Signing

A poor tryout in New Orleans could make this center available to New York

The Knicks should keep an eye on the Pelicans' new tryout center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Knicks have already made it clear that this offseason they have their eye on the Pelicans' frontcourt. New York reportedly called multiple times about Yves Missi, but was turned away.

However, New Orleans' stance on Missi could eventually soften. NOLA also has an intriguing young big, Karlo Matkovic, so the Knicks can't close this door even if there's resistance on the other end.

And now New York has one more Pelicans center to watch closely, as New Orleans is bringing in Christian Koloko on a non-guaranteed tryout deal.

I'm told the Pelicans are bringing Koloko in similarly to Bufkin - a non guaranteed camp deal with a chance to make the roster. https://t.co/uXr9sn7Q5y

— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) July 28, 2026

Knicks missed out on Christian Koloko, but could potentially revisit him as a third center option if he's cut

Pelicans pundit Shamit Dua notes that Koloko and Kofe Bufkin are joining New Orleans on the same kind of contract. That makes this a true competition between the two (and potentially others, if more are brought in) to secure the final roster spot on the team.

Neither has anything guaranteed in their deals, so they can be cut loose during the preseason and freely sign with another squad. Koloko's going to have to share reps with Missi, Matkovic, Derik Queen, Hunter Dickinson, and DeAndre Jordan, so the odds could be against him being deemed worthy of keeping with so many options already in tow.

Of course, this could have implications for the Knicks, who are on the hunt for a third center. The free-agent market is the opposite of robust after July's initial feeding frenzy, leaving mostly unappealing veterans on their final NBA legs available to sign.

Instead, a younger big with upside would likely reward New York more in terms of filling out its final roster spot it can afford. Then it could be someone who may be surprised if a bigger load is thrust upon them, or at least a player the team can develop with the hopes of them being a longer-term piece.

Koloko does fit this bill quite well. He's flashed some potential by making an impact on the boards, averaging an impressive 9.7 RPG per 36 minutes in 2024-25. He's also gone over 2.0 blocks per 36 minutes in two of his three seasons so far.

The rub with Koloko is that he hasn't been seen much despite being drafted four years ago. He's made only 122 appearances, never averaged 14 minutes in a single season, and missed his entire second NBA campaign because of a blood clot issue. The latter seems to have impacted his ability to find his footing, as he went on to play for three different teams during the 2025-26 season.

Still, the shades of a rebound-grabbing, shot-blocking fiend are there. He only turned 26 in June, and spending an entire season in the Knicks' championship environment could push him to hit new levels with his game.

Mike Brown's work with Karl-Anthony Towns, plus Ariel Hukporti's positive steps forward and solid emergency stints during the playoffs, give confidence that Koloko could be another center success story in the Big Apple.

Assuming an offseason center trade doesn't come to fruition for New York, the front office will have to pivot to less-premium names. Luckily, the Knicks still have three two-way contract slots, which can be utilized to bring in some lesser-known center help in the meantime.

This allows Leon Rose to not burn the last roster spot on an unsavory name. He can leave it vacant well into September to see how the center landscape shakes out across the rest of the league, as there are still trade opportunities and possible releases to explore ahead of the year tipping off.

That is what makes Koloko's situation so relevant to New York, as he may be put out on the street by the Pelicans ahead of opening night if his tryout doesn't blow them away—and then the Knicks could pounce on a worthwhile flyer as a third-string big. This puts him firmly on the list of centers who could pop back up as targets for New York after initially missing out on them this offseason.