Recapping NY Knicks' free agency additions, departures and re-signings

Noah Nussbaum, NorthJersey.comMon, July 6, 2026 at 4:04 PM UTC

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The Knicks’ offseason has been relatively quiet thus far. They traded their first-round selection in the NBA Draft, instead ending up picking twice in the second.

Free agency has been similar so far. New York has seen one major departure and made one notable addition — both at center. Meanwhile, it brought back some role players from its championship-winning team.

The good news is the Knicks’ entire starting five — Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges — is under contract for the upcoming season.

New York is likely not done in free agency, but it’s already in a good position to defend its title next year.

Here’s a recap of the Knicks’ free agency signings and departures thus far:

Additions

So far, the Knicks have signed just one player who wasn’t on its 2025-26 squad. Former Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond inked a one-year, $3.9 million deal on Saturday. He will likely serve as Towns’ backup and should bring a spark off the bench.

Drummond played 63 games (25 starts) with Philadelphia this past season, averaging 6.4 points and 8.4 rebounds in 19.5 minutes. It was one of the least productive scoring seasons of his 14-year career, but he showed he hasn’t lost a step on the glass.

The 6-foot-11 big has always been one of the league’s premier rebounders, leading the NBA four times and finishing in double digits 13 times. Drummond may not have the scoring ability that previously made him one of the best players in the league anymore, but his presence on the boards is exactly what the Knicks need off the bench.

Drummond will likely not be New York’s only addition in free agency. Another bench shooter or big could be in play, especially with the Knicks not yet re-signing Jordan Clarkson at this point. But don’t expect a major splash with all five starters returning.

Departures

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The Knicks’ main departure − backup center Mitchell Robinson − directly coincides with Drummond’s addition. Robinson signed a four-year, $47.4 million deal with the Boston Celtics last Wednesday.

Robinson had spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Knicks. He took a backseat to Towns the last two campaigns but still packed a punch when Towns was in foul trouble.

While his departure hurts, Robinson’s 8.8 rebounds and 5.7 points in 2025-26 were pretty similar to Drummond’s output. With the money Robinson received from Boston, it wasn’t a surprise New York let him walk.

In addition, the Knicks’ third-string center Ariel Hukporti signed a one-year, $3.4 million contract with the 76ers last week. Though the second-year big played just 9.2 minutes per game and averaged 2.2 points per game last year, the Knicks still probably need to fill his spot in the coming weeks.

Re-signings

The Knicks have also been successful in bringing back many of their players from last year. They re-signed Jose Alvarado to a three-year, $14 million deal, Landry Shamet to a four-year, $24 million contract and Mohamed Diawara to a four-year, multi-year deal.

New York acquired Alvarado at the trade deadline this past season from the New Orleans Pelicans, becoming a reliable bench piece. Alvarado put up 6.6 points and 3.8 assists in 28 regular-season games and played in every postseason matchup.

Shamet, meanwhile, had one of the most productive years of his career with the Knicks. In his second year in New York, journeyman seemed to find a home in the Big Apple. Shamet helped the Knicks complete a massive comeback with 13 points in the NBA Finals Game 1, the third of four straight double-digit point performances in the playoffs.

Diawara was a rookie last season and only played in 9.2 minutes per game. But he’s just 21 and isn’t worth giving up on yet.

The Knicks could still sign Clarkson and reserve wing Jeremy Sochan, who are both unrestricted free agents. Clarkson is the most pressing, as he’s shown in the past that he can cut it in the NBA, but it’s likely other teams have the same idea and may pry the 34 year old from New York’s grasp.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: See Knicks free agency recap of additions, departures, re-signings

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