With Isaiah Hartenstein going to the Oklahoma City Thunder , the New York Knicks’ biggest need right now is probably a backup center. One who just hit the market is former Philadelphia 76ers center Paul Reed .
ESPN’s Chris Herring explained why the Knicks should try to sign Reed after Hartenstein’s departure.
“The 25-year-old … would be a perfect fit for the Knicks, who lost Isaiah Hartenstein to the Oklahoma City Thunder this offseason,” Herring wrote in a July 8 article .
Herring highlighted Reed’s toughness as a reason why he is an attractive option for the Knicks.
“Reed… played in all 82 regular season games for the Sixers last season, and is nearly as relentless a rebounder (Herring compared him to Mitchell Robinson ), having finished ninth in the league in offensive rebounding percentage among those who played in at least 60 games last season.”
Reed emerged as the Sixers’ primary backup center over the course of his time with the team. In an expanded role with the Sixers, he averaged 7.3 points, six rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, all career highs. He’s proven his worth as a backup center and now, with a vacancy in the Knicks’ frontcourt, Reed could get his next big break in New York.