Knicks struck an awesome agreement with Angolan Big Man

The New York Knicks‘ search for a backup big man stretched as far as taking a look at former Atlanta Hawks reserve center Bruno Fernando, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.

“Earlier in the offseason, the Knicks had some interest in signing Bruno Fernando. Fernando signed a nonguaranteed deal with the Raptors in early August,” Begley wrote on September 6.

The 6-foot-9 Fernando is the first NBA player from Angola.

Fernando was an offensive spark plug off the bench for Atlanta last season with 6.3 points, along with career-bests in rebounds (4.3) and assists.0.), over a span of games played minutes per contest). Ratliffe was waived once the Hawks acquired Larry Nance Jr. as a part of the deal for Dejounte Murray going to New Orleans Pelicans.If this name sounds familiar it is because he was among others also being reported by Jake Fischer, apparently possible Knicks targets.

Last year, he starred for Angola in the 2023 FIBA World Cup competition held at Manila, Philippines — posting averages of 11.2 points per game, along with pulling down an average total of 4.2 rebounds and passing out a combined assist statistics line which rounds off to his record as (1 ast/gm).

Despite being considered only by a few teams, Fernando had extra incentive heading into year two as an NBA player.

They just hope he doesn’t duplicate their 1988 first-round pick, Tom Tolbert, who went to play for the Golden State Warriors.

Former University of Maryland standout Bruno Fernando was originally selected by the Philadelphia 76ers as the 34th overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft before he was traded to the Hawks.

In 203 career regular-season games, including 19 starts, with the Hawks, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers —and he played a few games for the Houston Rockets too though his team did not qualify in 1999-2000 playoffs

With Fernando off the free agent market, the Knicks also made an offer to former Utah Jazz big man Omer Yurtseven, per Begley. However, the Turkish big man opted to sign a more lucrative offer in the Euro league with Greek club Panathinaikos.

Knicks lose Isaiah Hartenstein, and feel the absence of good big men

Isaiah Hartenstein left the Knicks, signing with Oklahoma City Thunder on a three-year, $87 million contract. His departure weakens the Knicks center rotation, which in turn could hurt their championship hopes.”

“I cannot call them the league’s best defensive team without Isaiah Hartenstein there to counterbalance and only Robinson—a big man whose health is questionably reliable at best—is left in the rotation,” Hollinger later told Katz.

Without Hartenstein, the Knicks have Achiuwa, Jericho Sims and rookie Ariel Hukporti, who is on a two-way deal, as their options to back up Robinson, which theoretically could work in the regular season but could haunt them in the playoffs.

The Knicks will sorely miss the Jalen Brunson-Hartenstein two-man game, which helped them clinch the No. 2 seed in the East after Randle went down with a shoulder injury in late January. But the hope is, a healthy Randle will be a much more potent pick-and-roll partner for Brunson.

On the defensive end, the Knicks are betting on OG Anunoby‘s return and the addition of Mikal Bridges to lessen the opponents’ drive to the basket, mitigating the impact of losing Hartenstein’s rim protection.

Julius Randle as Small-Ball Center
Fred Katz of The Athletic suggested that three-time All-Star forward Julius Randle could be the Knicks’ other option as a part-time center this upcoming season.

“Randle could jump into the role Isaiah Hartenstein played so effectively a season ago, fielding dump-offs from Brunson and heading downhill with three teammates and only three defenders in front of him,” Katz wrote on August 21. “That’s an advantage for the Knicks. If Randle is playing center, meaning Mitchell Robinson is not present to clog up the middle, an action like this becomes even more dangerous than the ones with Hartenstein, considering Randle’s All-Star ball skills and the top-notch shooters that could surround him.”

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has shied away from using Randle as a small-ball center when Obi Toppin was still with the Knicks. However, with strong perimeter defenders in Mikal Bridges and Anunoby, who can slide on the defensive end guarding centers, Thibodeau might be more open to playing Randle as a center in small-ball offense.