The Knicks enter the 2026 NBA Draft (June 23-24, 2026) with the 24th, 31st, and 55th picks. Fresh off a drought-breaking championship run, Leon Rose & Co. don’t need to hunt for star power. Instead, they can focus on low-risk / low-cost depth and high-upside development.
Depending on how the draft board falls, Houston freshman big man Chris Cenac, Jr. could be available when New York is on the clock late in the first round or early in the second. Adding such an impressive physical specimen to the frontcourt
pipeline is always a promising idea. Should the Knicks consider him as an understudy to Mitchell Robinson?
The Basics
- School: Houston
- Position: Power forward / center
- Height: 6’11” (6’10.25″ barefoot at the NBA Draft Combine)
- Weight: 240 lbs
- Age: 19 (Feb. 1, 2007)
- 2025-26 Stats: 9.5 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 0.7 APG, 49% FG, 33% 3PT, 62% FT
- Projected Draft Range: Late first to early second round (Picks 20–35)
The Numbers
Maybe 9.5 points per game on 49% shooting doesn’t scream first-round lock. But you have to view those numbers through the lens of Kelvin Sampson’s veteran-heavy system at Houston. Cenac wasn’t a featured offensive hub as a freshman learning to grind.
The number that should pop for Knicks fans is 7.9 rebounds in just 24.8 minutes per game. Cenac led Houston in rebounding as a true freshman—the first player to do so in nearly 15 years. His 26% defensive rebounding rate is a metric that instantly translates to an NBA rotation.
Efficiency-wise, Cenac is a tale of two zones. At the rim, he was explosive, converting 78% of his looks at the basket, heavily propped up by crushing 37 dunks on 40 attempts. However, his overall field goal percentage was dragged down by his perimeter frequency; he took 90 three-pointers on the season. While a 33% clip from deep is not bad for a 19-year-old near-7-footer, his 62% mark from the charity stripe line suggests his shot is still a work in progress.
What Does He Do Well?
- Elite Physical Profile and Functional Athleticism: Cenac was a standout at the 2026 Draft Combine. Standing just a shade under 6’11” with a massive 7’5″ wingspan and a 9-foot-0.5″ standing reach, he possesses the prototypical frame of a modern NBA big. He’s fluid, moves like a wing in transition, and boasts a 37-inch maximum vertical.
- Relentless Rebounding: Cenac doesn’t just rely on height to clear the glass, but also seeks out contact. He recorded 13 double-digit rebounding games this past season. He tracks looseballs well and has an excellent second jump to secure contested balls.
- Modern Face-Up Potential: He’s solid, but he ain’t Shaq. Few humans are. Unlike Shaq, Cenac is comfortable facing up from the perimeter and has a decent handle from his earlier days of playing point-forward. That allows him to attack slower bigs off the bounce or stretch the floor in pick-and-pop scenarios.
What Are the Concerns?
- Raw Offensive Polish: Outside of finishing lobs, cutting hard to the rim, and hitting occasional spot-up triples, Cenac’s half-court offense is largely theoretical. He ran very little P&R as the roll man at Houston (just seven tracking possessions all year). He will have a steep learning curve anchoring an NBA offense.
- Playmaking and Decision-Making: The point-forward idea might have been a little pie-in-the-sky. With a 0.7 assists per game against a much higher turnover rate, Cenac showed tunnel vision when he decided to drive. He needs to learn to read rotating defenses and make the kick-out pass.
- Defensive Discipline: While playing under Coach Sampson likely gave him a phenomenal foundation in defensive positioning and rotation, Cenac averaged just 0.5 blocks per game despite his 7’5″ wingspan. He occasionally played too conservatively as a rim protector or got caught out of position trying to help on the perimeter.
The Knicks Fit
Cenac’s ability to hit the occasional, open spot-up three gives some hope for a stretch-five option that the Knicks’ bench lacks. He would not crack the active rotation on opening night, but maps out as a promising long-term project. Think of Cenac as insurance for the center rotation. With Mitchell Robinson’s injury history and contract talks looming, the Knicks need a few reliable, physical, defensive-minded bigs behind or beside Karl-Anthony Towns. Cenac has the physical tools you’d want in a drop-coverage rim protector, mixed with a modern—if theoretical—scoring punch. He could challenge Ariel Hukporti and Pacome Dadiet in training camp for third-stringer spots, and most likely get reps with the Westchester Knicks this season.
NBA Comparisons
- Best-Case Comparison: Kel’el Ware / Christian Wood (with a better defensive motor)
- Median Outcome: Mo Bamba
- Low-End Outcome: Damian Jones
The Verdict
At No. 24: Consider. If the top-tier guards and wings are off the board (Isaiah Evans, e.g.), taking an upside swing on a five-star freshman with a 7’5″ wingspan who survived the Houston developmental gauntlet is a smart asset play.
At No. 31: Run to the podium. If Cenac slips into the second round due to his raw offensive numbers, Leon Rose should draft him without hesitation.
