Knicks Buyout Targets to Pursue After 2021 NBA Trade Deadline

The New York Knicks kept mostly quiet at the 2021 NBA trade deadline, which was probably the right way to go.

There might have been some interest in buying, but their ceiling isn't quite high enough to justify a top-dollar splurge. Conversely, there may have been opportunities to selectively sell, but that might have taken the air out of the sails of what should be their first playoff venture since 2013.

The cliche, "sometimes the best moves are the ones you don't make," fits well here.

But New York should poke around for minor upgrades on the buyout market, as there is that postseason trip to protect (or maybe even enhance). With Mitchell Robinson seemingly down for the count, the center spot feels like the most obvious target, so let's break down the bigs who fit best with the 'Bockers.

Mike Muscala, Oklahoma City Thunder

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Mike Muscala's days seem numbered with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The franchise is looking further into the future than any other rebuilder, leaving the 29-year-old role player with no real utility in the Sooner State. With young bigs like Moses Brown, Aleksej Pokusevski, Isaiah Roby and Tony Bradley to develop, OKC should be ready to squeeze Muscala out of the rotation and off of this roster entirely.

The Knicks should be ready to pounce if that happens. His ability to space the floor as a 6'10" center would not only give this frontcourt a different dimension, it could also help get struggling rookie Obi Toppin on track. The eighth overall pick is sort of a defensive 4 and an offensive 5, so he'd benefit from slotting alongside someone who can hold down the interior on defense and step away from the basket on offense, like Muscala can.

An incoming big isn't guaranteed a spot in New York's rotation, but Muscala's unique skills would help him separate from the pack.

Norvel Pelle, Free Agent

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Norvel Pelle isn't actually a buyout player, but he's a good enough fit for this roster that it makes sense to make an exception.

He isn't the most skilled player around, but he offers size and a great motor. That combination typically leads to a ton of activity on the interior, which is why NBA teams keep looking his direction.

He's still looking to latch on somewhere for good, but he spent last season with the Philadelphia 76ers, and this year he has already found his way to the floor for the Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings. There's a reason teams keep coming back. He makes things happen around the basket, and if that's all a team needs out of its center spot, he can scratch the itch.

The Knicks are reportedly Pelle fans and considered him the first time Robinson was hurt this season, per Marc Berman of the New York Post. New York has other interior options, but Pelle belongs in the discussion.

Hassan Whiteside, Sacramento Kings

Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press

Any buyout shopper with concerns at the center spot will be invariably linked to Hassan Whiteside. The Knicks are no different.

They lost a mini-mountain of production when Robinson went down, and they can only expect Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson to pick up so much of the slack. Noel lacks the bulk to bang with certain centers, and Gibson is winding down the way most 35-year-olds do in this league.

Adding Whiteside to the equation would give the Knicks more options underneath. He's a 7'0", 265-pound cinder block, only he's mobile with a little bounce, too. He can get overly jumpy on defense and may not always set the hardest screens, but he rarely leaves a box score untouched.

He averaged a double-double each of the past six seasons. During that stretch, he led the league in blocks twice and in rebounds once. His per-36-minutes production this season is right in line with those years.

If the Sacramento Kings buy him out, he won't be short on suitors. The Knicks would do well to win the sweepstakes.

Statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference and NBA.com. Salary information obtained via Basketball Insiders.