Tom Thibodeau considers playing Julius Randle at center for short periods

The Knicks also have a clear area of concern at Center. Mitchell Robinson is a talented rim protector but has struggled with injuries, only playing in 60+ games once in the past four seasons. After him, the depth at center is lacking. Isaiah Hartenstein, who was a standout reserve center last season, opted to sign with another contender in Oklahoma City. This leaves Precious Achiuwa, who is tough but undersized, and Jericho Sims, who is athletic but raw, to handle the position.

Tom Thibodeau is thinking about leaning into some Julius Randle at center minutes next season, he

told Steve Aschburner of NBA.com in an interview.

We'll probably have to do it by committee. We'll look at some different things, because we have versatility — we could see Julius more at the 5. I don't want to do that for long stretches, it would take its toll, but to have him do it for 10 or 15 minutes, I think he can do it well. He also would create a lot of [offensive] advantages.

How Randle fits in with this roster will be one of the more interesting subplots of this season, especially with Randle having a $30.9 million player option for next season and the chance to become a free agent. Randle averaged 24 points and 9.2 rebounds a game last season, he is a beast around the basket, but he was injured and out for the Knicks playoff run behind Jalen Brunson. How his style of game meshes with Brunson, Mikal Bridges and a more perimeter-oriented movement offense will be something to watch.

In certain matchups, Randle at the five could work. It's not something Thibodeau has wanted to do in the past because of the lack of rim protection, but his hand is forced. Thibs also has a team deep with quality defenders on the wing who can help mitigate some of that lack of defense in the paint.

An elite team should do this in the regular season: try out different lineup combinations, rotations, and player positions to see what works and what doesn't. Randle should be able to play the five in a limited role — it's matchup dependent — but Thibs wants to see what it looks like and go from there.

The Knicks also will be in the market if and when any quality centers become available via trade this season. The Wizards are expected to make Jonas Valanciunas available via trade after Dec. 15, and other players such as Jakob Poltl, Jock Landale and Walker Kessler could be of interest to the Knicks.