Thursday afternoon, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that big man Nick Richards has agreed to a one-year deal with the Miami Heat. The New York Knicks have long been tied to the CAA client, who leaves a mostly barren big man free agent landscape for the Knicks to dig around as they seek to add one more serviceable center into the fold.

New York has one more roster spot it can afford and still stay under the second apron, which seems ticketed for a big man. Barring Leon Rose pulling a trade out of his hat over the next few weeks, here are the best remaining bigs the Knicks could outright sign or invite to training camp for a battle royale.

1. Ben Simmons

The 30-year old Simmons is the only player on this list that didn’t play in an NBA game last season, but the top pick of the 2016 draft offers the most intrigue. He's also someone that we know has fans within the Knicks front office after reportedly offered him a contract last summer.

During his last stop with the Clippers, the 6-foot-10 enigma mostly served as a backup center. If healthy, he can be a Swiss Army knife of sorts, serving as an additional ball-handler, rebounder and someone who can play defense. If he's willing to come to training camp on a non-guaranteed deal, it's a risk-free lottery ticket.

2. Tony Bradley

UNC product Tony Bradley has been a familiar foe against the Knicks over the last few years during his time with Indiana and Atlanta. The 28-year-old split his time with both teams last season and is your prototypical journeyman that is capable of being a regular-season innings-eater.

Bradley has experience on playoff teams and his 6-foot-10 frame gives him appeal as an end-of-bench option who can bang in the paint when Karl-Anthony Towns or Andre Drummond are resting. He's not at a point where he can scoff at a tryout, so he again fits the mold of someone New York could turn to as part of a camp battle.

3. Mason Plumlee

The 13-year veteran only suited up in 20 games last season due to undergoing surgery to address an injured right groin in December. Plumlee finished the year as a bench warmer with the Spurs, but is not long removed from his rotational days with the Clippers and Suns.

The 36-year old's knack for being active on the offensive boards could provide a nice jolt of energy in a reserve role. He's also highly respected around the league and isn't scared of sticking up for his teammates.

The edge he plays with, and desire to show he still has something left in the tank, could be of use to New York with every team in the league gunning for them.

4. Drew Eubanks

Drew Eubanks saw action in 42 games for the Kings last season, including 11 starts, where he averaged 5.2 points and 3.0 rebounds. The eight-year pro's season ended in March due to a torn UCL in his left thumb.

The 29-year-old has suited up six different teams during his career with his most successful tenure coming with Portland, where he started 50 games across a season and a half while averaging a solid 8.4 ppg and 6.0 rpg. He's not a household name, but he's a guy willing to do the dirty work and that's worth taking a chance on in a post-Richards world.

5. Bismack Biyombo

Bismack Bimyombo, a 15-year vet, is one of those players that feels like he's been around forever. But the 6-foot-8 big man is still just 33-year old and can be trusted enough to soak up regular-season minutes.

Biyombo mostly served as a mentor for Victor Wembanyama last season in San Antonio. He did, however, start 26 games for the Spurs during the 2024-25 campaign, where he averaged 5.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in 18.8 minutes.

That's a sign he has a little gas left in the tank to at least man any emergency center needs for the Knicks during the early part of the year, buying them time to seek a more premium third big.

6. Dwight Powell

The longtime Maverick has spent all but five games of his career with Dallas. Powell has stated his desire to play one more season, but the chances of a retirement tour with the Mavs are slim due to their glut of big men.

The 35-year-old fan favorite hasn’t averaged more than 15 minutes a game since 2022-23. However, he is familiar with Jalen Brunson and could be willing to relocate to chase a championship.

7. Kevin Love

Perhaps the allure of living in Manhattan and joining a championship team is enough to convince the five-time All-Star to come to training camp. The Knicks were able to sway Malcolm Brogdon to sign a non-guaranteed deal last year and that might be the best offer that comes the 37-year old's way.

Love played sparingly in a reserve role for Utah last season, but he can still knock down shots—37.3% from threes last season—and was once one of the best rebounders in the league.

8. Kelly Olynyk

Olynyk averaged 3.2 points and 1.9 rebounds across 8.8 minutes in 42 games with the Spurs last season. The 35-year-old is a career 36.9% shooter from long distance and has plenty of playoff experience dating back to his days with Boston and Miami.

The Toronto native is just a season removed from averaging 8.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in 20.3 minutes during his time split between the Pelicans and Raptors. His calling card isn't rebounding or rim protection, but he's a 7-footer who could have one more run as a helpful role player.

Surely he'd love to end his career with a ring, which has eluded him despite 13 years in the league so far.

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