Kevin Love remains a potential Knicks free-agent option. His rebounding, experience and floor-spacing ability could help New York replace part of what it lost with Mitchell Robinson.

The New York Knicks are not going to replace Mitchell Robinson with another Mitchell Robinson. His combination of offensive rebounding, physicality and interior defense was too specific to replicate with one inexpensive late-summer signing.

What New York can do, however, is replace parts of his impact in different ways.

That is what makes Kevin Love an intriguing veteran option for the defending champions. The five-time All-Star remains an unrestricted free agent after spending last season with the Utah Jazz, where he averaged 6.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

At 37, Love is clearly no longer the All-NBA-level player who once averaged more than 20 points and 15 rebounds in Minnesota. His defensive limitations would also prevent him from filling Robinson’s role as a traditional rim protector.

But that does not mean he could not help the Knicks.

In a limited bench role, Love would offer New York something its current collection of big men does not necessarily provide: rebounding combined with legitimate shooting range from the frontcourt. For a team already featuring Karl-Anthony Towns, that flexibility could open some unusual lineup combinations for Mike Brown.

Kevin Love Would Replace Rebounding Differently Than Robinson

Robinson’s departure created an obvious question for New York.

Who replaces those extra possessions?

Robinson was one of the Knicks’ most valuable offensive rebounders, capable of extending possessions without needing plays called for him. Love would not reproduce that impact through athleticism or above-the-rim play, but rebounding has been one of the defining skills of his career.

Even with his minutes reduced last season, Love still averaged 5.8 rebounds per game, a respectable number considering his limited role.

His approach is also different from Robinson’s.

Love has always relied heavily on positioning, anticipation and physical box-outs. That becomes especially relevant as players age because it is a skill that does not depend entirely on explosiveness.

For the Knicks, he would not need to play 25 minutes every night. The value would come from being able to enter games for short stretches, stabilize the defensive glass and create additional possessions without requiring the ball offensively.

There would obviously be a trade-off.

Robinson gave New York vertical rim protection. Love does not. At this stage of his career, asking him to defend mobile centers or survive repeated pick-and-roll actions would create problems.

That makes the fit highly matchup-dependent.

But New York already has Towns and Andre Drummond available at center. Love would not need to become the primary backup five. Instead, he could function as another tactical option at both power forward and center.

Love’s Shooting Could Give Mike Brown Another Small-Ball Weapon

This is where the argument for Love becomes more interesting.

Unlike Robinson — and unlike Drummond — Love forces opposing defenses to respect him away from the basket.

That shooting ability completely changes the geometry of an offense.

New York could theoretically use Love as a stretch five in lineups built around Brunson and multiple perimeter creators, opening the paint and forcing opposing centers away from the rim. He could also play alongside another big as a floor-spacing power forward.

Even in limited minutes last season, Love continued to demonstrate that he remains willing and capable from deep. NBA.com’s game logs included flashes of that shooting ability, including a March performance in which he hit all three of his three-point attempts while adding eight rebounds in just 15 minutes.

That combination of shooting and rebounding has already made Love one of the veteran centers mentioned as a possible option for New York this offseason. A recent examination of remaining Knicks targets specifically included him among the free-agent big men still capable of filling a depth role.

The appeal is easy to understand.

The Knicks do not need another star. They need players who can solve specific problems without disrupting the established hierarchy.

Love understands that type of role.

He has already transitioned from franchise cornerstone to complementary veteran over the later stages of his career. Playing 10 or 15 minutes one night and potentially sitting the next would presumably be easier to manage with a player accustomed to changing responsibilities.

There is also the championship factor.

Love already owns a ring from Cleveland’s 2016 championship run. Joining the defending champions in New York would give him another opportunity to compete deep into the postseason while giving the Knicks another player familiar with the pressure surrounding a title defense.

The move would certainly carry risks. Love’s defense could be targeted in playoff matchups, and the Knicks would need to protect him with the right lineup combinations. He also cannot be viewed as a direct answer to New York’s need for rim protection.

But that may be the wrong way to evaluate him.

Kevin Love would not replace Mitchell Robinson. He could help replace some of the things the Knicks lost when Robinson left — while adding an offensive dimension Robinson never provided.

For the right price and the right role, that could make him one of the more interesting remaining free agents for a Knicks team looking for small upgrades rather than another major overhaul.

The New York Knicks still need a third big man, and Keshad Johnson has emerged as a low-cost free-agent option after New York missed on other targets.

The New York Knicks still have one roster issue to solve before training camp: finding another big man capable of absorbing minutes behind the primary frontcourt rotation.

Earlier in the summer, New York missed out on Jonas Valanciunas and then saw Dallas match its offer sheet for Moussa Cisse. That left the defending champions searching for a cheaper, more realistic option on the free-agent market.

One name now gaining attention is Keshad Johnson, the former Miami Heat forward who remains unsigned and could likely be added on a minimum contract. He would not be a traditional replacement for Mitchell Robinson, but his youth, athleticism and ability to play both forward and small-ball center make him an intriguing depth option.

New York still has a hole behind its main big men

Robinson’s departure to Boston removed one of the Knicks’ best rebounders and rim protectors. Andre Drummond gives Mike Brown a proven physical presence, but New York still needs another body capable of handling emergency minutes during an 82-game season.

That is where Johnson becomes interesting.

He appeared in 32 games for Miami last season, averaging 4.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in a limited role. Those numbers are modest, but the appeal is not based on production alone.

Johnson plays with energy, can defend multiple frontcourt positions and would give Brown another athletic option in smaller lineups. At a minimum salary, the financial risk would also be extremely low.

Johnson is imperfect, but the fit has some logic

The limitations are obvious.

Johnson is undersized for regular minutes at center, has a small NBA sample size and is not yet a polished offensive player. Asking him to replace Robinson directly would be unrealistic.

But the Knicks do not necessarily need a direct replacement.

What they need is another frontcourt piece who can rebound, switch defensively, run the floor and survive short stretches when injuries or foul trouble hit. Johnson could provide some of those qualities while also offering more positional versatility than a traditional third-string center.

That flexibility may appeal to Brown, particularly because New York already has established offensive stars. A reserve big does not need touches. He needs to defend, rebound and avoid disrupting the system.

Johnson would represent a developmental gamble rather than a finished product, but that may be exactly the type of move the Knicks can afford to make at this stage of the offseason.

After missing on more established targets, New York may not need another splash. A young, inexpensive frontcourt player who can cover multiple roles could be enough — and Johnson fits that description better than most of the remaining free agents.

The New York Knicks continue to explore the free-agent center market. Nick Richards, Xavier Tillman, Drew Eubanks and Tony Bradley remain possible depth options.

The New York Knicks have spent much of the offseason looking for one more dependable big man, and that need has not disappeared.

With only Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond established at center, New York remains thin in the middle following the departures of Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti. The Knicks do not need another star, but they do need insurance.

According to SNY’s Ian Begley, New York has been in contact with several free-agent centers in recent weeks. A deal does not appear imminent, but the front office is clearly keeping the market open while trying to preserve flexibility below the second apron.

That makes the third-center search less about headline value and more about finding the right role player at the right price.

Why the Knicks Still Need Another Center

Drummond gives Mike Brown a proven rebounder behind Towns, but relying on only two traditional centers across an 82-game season would be risky.

Injuries, foul trouble and back-to-back games can quickly expose a thin frontcourt. A third center would give New York someone capable of handling spot starts, protecting Towns’ workload and absorbing regular-season minutes without disrupting the rotation.

The ideal profile is straightforward: rebound, defend the paint, finish around the rim and accept a limited role.

The Knicks also want to maintain as much financial flexibility as possible, so the solution will almost certainly come from the lower-cost end of the free-agent market rather than through a major trade.

Nick Richards Leads a Shrinking Free-Agent Market

Among the available names, Nick Richards remains one of the most logical fits.

At 6-foot-11, Richards offers size, rebounding and pick-and-roll finishing without needing plays called for him. He also has enough rim protection to give New York a more traditional defensive option when Towns is resting.

His production after joining Chicago last season—9.4 points and 7.6 rebounds in 20 games—showed that he can still contribute when given regular minutes.

Other possibilities include Xavier Tillman, Drew Eubanks and Tony Bradley. Tillman would bring switchability and championship experience, Eubanks offers a more conventional screen-and-dive presence, while Bradley has built his career around rebounding and efficient interior play.

None of them would transform the Knicks.

That is not the point.

New York already has a championship-level core. What the front office needs now is another reliable body capable of surviving difficult stretches of the regular season and giving Mike Brown one more option when matchups change.

If the Knicks can land Richards or another veteran center on a manageable deal, it would be a small move with potentially significant value over the course of a title defense.