Sports

Knicks now have good reason to keep tabs on Charles Bassey

New York Knicks On SI · Jul 22, 2026 17:00 · 3 min read

Knicks Now Have Good Reason to Keep Tabs on Charles Bassey — Apr 7, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward/center Charles Bassey shoots a layup while defended by a Sacramento Kings player in the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Charles Bassey's partially guaranteed contract with the Warriors could still leave the door open for the Knicks to sign or trade for him down the line.

The Knicks still are in search of a third center, but the remaining free agent big men continue to dwindle by the day. One of the more intriguing names New York could've gone after was Charles Bassey.

Unfortunately for the Knicks, the big man signed a one-year $2.85 million deal with the Warriors last week. The good news, though, is that it's only partially guaranteed—making him a name to circle back on in the near-future.

Why Charles Bassey still can't be ruled out for the Knicks

As things stand right now, Bassey sits behind a slew of big men on Golden State's depth chart. Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford are all ahead of him definitively.

Rookie standout Yaxel Lendeborg and Gui Santos, a forward that will push Green to play minutes at the five, will be ahead of Bassey as well.

There's pretty much a zero percent chance that all of those guys play 60+ games this season. Having someone like Bassey at the end of the bench to help fill in whenever the veterans have to miss time is valuable. But the fact that his deal won't become guaranteed until Jan. 10 does still leave room for him to be cut.

While the Warriors cutting him may currently seem unlikely, if they find themselves badly in need of some backup at a different position due to injuries or underwhelming play, it's not completely out of the equation.

Think of a world in which Steph Curry gets off to an amazing start, and both Green and Porzingis look healthy and have turned back the clock. What if Brandin Podzeimski or Gary Payton II has an underwhelming season, or De'Anthony Melton gets hurt again? This could cause Bassey to be cast off in favor of more pressing needs elsewhere.

Also, when he signed last week, Bassey notably waived his implicit no-trade clause, just like Jordan Clarkson did with the Knicks. That means that even if the Warriors don't outright cut him, he can still be traded.

In a situation akin to the aforementioned one, Golden State may decide to deal him, even if after his contract becomes fully guaranteed. New York may not have the most enticing pieces to offer a Warriors team looking to contend right now. But for a deeper bench piece like Bassey, it should really only require a second-rounder, which the Knicks have plenty of after the draft.

Bassey's potential availability down the line further solidifies the increasing belief that the Knicks aren't panicking. This front office has consistently proven that they have plans in place and that they are not just good, but great at pivoting.

A backup pairing of Andre Drummond and Nick Richards, or whoever else the Knicks sign as their third string center, may not give fans the most confidence. It is a flawed center room that leaves a lot to be desired, especially after fans were blessed with calling Mitchell Robinson their backup center.

But, I'd also be surprised if this front office went into next year's postseason without having tinkered with the center rotation. Whether it's Bassey, or any of the other names they have been linked to, don't rule anything out just yet.