The New York Knicks recently signed James Wiseman to fill their third-string big man role.
However, Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale believes that the front office could be searching for more reliable depth by the trade deadline. With that in mind, he’s pinpointed Boston Celtics center Luka Garza as a potential trade target for Mike Brown’s team.
“Luka Garza falling behind Robinson and Neemias Queta in the Boston Celtics’ big-man hierarchy is the Knicks’ opening to get him out of Beantown,” Favale wrote. “Ditto for his impending free agency next summer. After drilling over 43 percent of his threes last year, he is another tall body who can play beside Towns if New York so chooses.”
Favale continued.
“Through five NBA seasons, he has notched a career offensive rebounding percentage of 15.8. That mark ranks eighth in the entire league among everyone who has logged at least 2,000 total minutes.”
Since joining the Celtics, Garza has proven himself to be a reliable backup big man. He’s an elite screener, solid perimeter shot-maker and has the size to be a deterrent when protecting the paint.
However, it’s unlikely Boston would be willing to part with Garza this season. He’s filling a much-needed depth role within Joe Mazzulla’s roster. They do have rookie Chris Cenac Jr., though, so for the right package, they may be tempted.
Garza Had A Strong 2025-26 Season
Garza joined the Celtics in the summer of 2025 and quickly made an impact off the bench. In 69 outings for Joe Mazzulla’s team, he averaged 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds, shooting 43.3% from deep on 1.8 threes per game.
It’s worth noting that Garza was almost exclusively deployed at the five, spending just 4% of his minutes operating as a power forward. In fact, that has been the case for his career thus far. So, any notion of pairing Garza with Karl-Anthony Towns would be based on theory, rather than proven logic.
Still, if the Knicks become disillusioned with either Andre Drummond or James Wiseman, Garza wouldn’t be a bad option to try and pursue at the trade deadline.
Mike Brown Is A Fan Of Knicks’ James Wiseman
Brown has previously worked with Wiseman during their time with the Golden State Warriors. It would appear the Knicks head coach is a fan of what Wiseman brings to the table, too.
“When you have a guy that’s 25 years old, that has the length and the athleticism and the talent of a James Wiseman, because KAT’s not athletic like that and Andre (Drummond) was once that, he still has some of it, but to have that at 25 years old, especially with where we’re at as a group, you look for guys,” Brown said, via The New York Post’s Jared Schwartz. “…How good he runs; you welcome that at his size and age and athleticism.”
Wiseman will likely get his opportunity to impress at times throughout the season. Nevertheless, he’s been signed for depth, not a key role within the rotation. However, if he can outplay Drummond, who knows how things will shake out during the season.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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