Jonas Valanciunas reacts during a game as Knicks consider center options
The Knicks are still looking at ways to add another center, and Jonas Valanciunas remains an interesting name because the fit is obvious.
SNY’s Ian Begley reported that Valanciunas was among the centers on New York’s radar after he was waived. The complication is not basketball. It is the money tied to the transaction.
A team claiming Valanciunas on waivers would take on the $10 million remaining on his 2026-27 salary. That price matters for a club that has been firm about staying below the second apron.
If he clears and becomes a free agent, the conversation changes. A smaller deal would give the Knicks a physical backup big without asking them to reshape the rest of the roster. A claim is far tougher to sell.
Jonas Valanciunas controls the ball as Knicks consider center depth
Jonas Valanciunas controls the ball against Minnesota. Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Knicks cannot spend like an ordinary contender
New York has already chosen a financial line this summer. The front office kept major pieces from the title roster together, brought back familiar bench players and resisted the kind of splashy move that would blow past its spending limit.
That makes the center spot a little tricky. Mitchell Robinson is gone, and Andre Drummond gives the Knicks a different kind of reserve than the one they lost. There is still room for another big body, especially for matchups that get too physical for a smaller second unit.
Valanciunas can rebound, screen and punish switches near the rim. He is not being considered because the Knicks need a new star. They need someone who can survive playoff minutes without making every possession an adventure.
The price tells the Knicks what to do
The $10 million claim is the catch. New York cannot call itself disciplined with the second apron and then absorb a number like that for a third center unless it is ready to move another contract out.
I like the player more than the transaction. The difference is simple. Valanciunas makes sense if the cost drops. If it does not, the Knicks should keep looking for a cheaper veteran or bring multiple low-cost bigs into camp.
The title defense will not be decided by a backup center in July. A bad financial choice can hang around much longer than that.
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