The New York Knicks were shot down by the chance to sign Daniel Theis last season, an NBA veteran big man who spent most of his career with their rival Boston Celtics.
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Daniel Theis #27 of the Boston Celtics celebrates a basket against the Miami Heat during the second quarter in Game One of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals.
The New York Knicks are ready to compete with their current roster led by Jalen Brunson.
Still, they should continue to fill in some of the gaps on their roster, just as they tried and failed to do last season.Hoping to land NBA veteran Daniel Theis, New York offered the German a contract after he was waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder at the trade deadline.
Instead, Theis denied the offer, citing that he would only be there for ‘insurance.’
“I could have gone to the Knicks, for example, but it was more for insurance that Mitchell Robinson came back from a long injury,”Theis said on theEuro Insiders podcast. “And then I talked to Tom Thibodeau and he said, ‘Yeah, you will be like insurance in case hecan’t play and this and that.‘It’s like what I did with P.J. Tucker.”
Theis instead signed with A.S. Monaco for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.After spending time on multiple teams, most notably the Boston Celtics, since entering the league in 2017, he instead decidedon a move to Europe, where he helped Monacoto a championship game appearance.
Theis Denied The Knicks
Theis spent most of his NBA career, though it may not yet be over, in Boston in the formative years of the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown era. After being traded from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Thunder, he was waived and presented with an opportunity to join the Knicks.
However, a lack of guaranteed playing time, and as he put it, just there for ‘insurance,‘Theis instead chose a move to the EuroLeague.
“For me, it was like, ‘Okay, if I sit for the rest of the year, what are my chances in the summer?’“ Theis added. “So ifI’m like, ‘Okay, I go overseas to Europe and play great, I might have a better chance.‘That was my whole intention and thought behind it —just consider Europe and see what it is.”
Led by former head coach Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks were mostly running a pretty tight lineup highlighted by their starters anyway, soTheis’ decision based on the expected playing time was likely the right call.He also commented on theswitch thathappens fortop players in Europe,making the move to the NBA.
“I think a lot of players, when they come to the NBA from Europe, want to have the exact same role,”Theis said. “It’s very hard.It’s different basketball. It might be better if you go whenyou’re younger instead of being already at the top in Europe and then going.”
Solid Offseason, Future Center Problems
Though Theis would have been a valuable addition, especially in the playoffs, New York had a successful postseason run. Over the summer,they’ve reloaded, bringing back a majority of their rotational players, as well as adding Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele to come off the bench.
While Clarkson brings a scoring role, Yabusele likely comes in as the type of player Theis would have been, but with perhaps a stronger rebounding ability and a bit more athleticism. Theis would have certainly helped in their series against both the Celtics and the Indiana Pacers. But Yabusele, now captain of the French national team, expects to be a solid addition for next year.
Speaking of New York big men, Robinson is the one player theKnicks’ front office will have to keep an eye on this next year. While Robinson has been efficient and impactful for the team over the past few years, he is on an expiring contract this season.
While New York has a strong center rotation with Yabusele and Karl-Anthony Towns for at least the next two years, the Knicks will likely move Robinson next, as he will likely beasking for asteep raise.
Robinson is a problem for the future, andTheis’s comments were those of the past. Meanwhile, the Knicks have high expectations for next season with new head coach Mike Brown.