How Pelicans’ Yves Missi decision impacts Knicks’ offseason

The New York Knicks keep looking for centers and big men in the free-agent and trade markets with no success to date.

New York’s pursuit of backups at both the center and power forward positions is starting to get concerning, and it only intensified after losing both sixth-man Mitchell Robinson and end-of-bench Ariel Hukporti in free agency.

Robinson agreed to a three-year, $47.4 million deal to start at center with the Boston Celtics, while Hukporti inked a one-year, $3.4 million deal to become Joel

Embiid’s backup in Philly. Both moves, obviously, were influenced by the Knicks’ need to remain below the second apron, as irrationally mandated by James Dolan.

Those financial constraints will continue to shape the Knicks’ options this offseason, with the franchise having roughly $8.5 million remaining to fill at least three roster spots.

That restriction has narrowed the market significantly, if not entirely, to a bunch of lesser, mostly aging bodies still available in the wild out there: Andre Drummond, Kevon Looney, Dwight Powell, Bismack Biyombo, Mason Plumlee, and the likes…

And on Thursday, we learned that the Knicks have been repeatedly denied in the pursuit of one of the few young, high-upside bigs considered to be both cheap (in terms of his salary) and available (if only for the right price) in New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi.

According to NBA reporter Chris Haynes, New York has “tried feverishly” to acquire Missi from the Pelicans, but multiple offers have been rejected of late. Haynes reported that New Orleans considers the third-year center a “core figure” and has made it clear he is not available.

“Sources: New York Knicks have tried feverishly to trade for New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi after losing Mitchell Robinson, but offers have been rejected multiple times. Pelicans view Missi as a vital core figure and the message is that he’s unavailable.”

According to SNY’s Ian Begley, who for some reason decided to wait more than a week to reveal the information he shared after Haynes’ report, perhaps to give us some false hope, New Orleans expressed a desire to keep Missi and allow him to develop under new head coach Jamahl Mosley all the way back to the NBA Draft, when the Knicks first asked about him.

“Around the NBA Draft, Pelicans signaled that Yves Missi would not be available via trade and will in New Orleans under new head coach Jamahl Mosely.”

Those two reports point to two rejections, but the Knicks’ interest in Missi predates the offseason, and that makes it three times the Pelicans have stiff-armed New York in its collective face.

The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy reported back in February that New York explored a deal for the center at last season’s trade deadline, when the Pelicans were seeking a first-round pick in return. The Knicks did not have that draft capital, and the Pels rejected all other packages offered by New York.

With Missi seemingly out of reach, what are the Knicks going to do to have some depth in the paint?

Well, for starters, it looks like New York was interested in signing Marvin Bagley III before he went to the Denver Nuggets, per HoopsHype. The same report points toward an interest in the aforementioned Drummond and Looney, as well as Chicago Bulls UFA Nick Richards

That said, Drummond himself opened up on free agency at the start of July and made it clear he is “not willing to play for less than my worth,” hinting at wanting more than a vet min deal.

“I did that once and then I got labeled as one of those guys, and I think it really killed my value in the NBA, because I’m still moving like I’m in my mid-20s. I still have a lot left in the tank. I think by taking that paycut—I feel like I’ve been climbing out of a hole for the last 4-5 years. It’s been hard.“

And regarding the widely-reported Looney pursuit, Bondy refuted the reports of the three-time champion being on the verge of signing with the Knicks.

For now, the Knicks’ preferred target (and that of most fans, too) is off the table, and the path to filling the frontcourt gap remains very, very unresolved.

Missi, meanwhile, reacted to all the whispers with a Druski meme. Trust him over sources.

You can follow Antonio on Twitter at @chapulana.