With the postseason approaching and frontcourt players like Kurt Thomas, Rasheed Wallace, Marcus Camby, and Amare Stoudemire out of action, the Knicks had resolved to take a wait-and-see approach with their injured bigs. However, after Kenyon Martin left last night's game with an ankle injury, the Knicks have changed course and intensified their search for a big man, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
Head coach Mike Woodson had said previously that if guys like Thomas and Wallace still aren't close to returning at the end of the regular season, the Knicks would consider adding a free agent. While neither of those players has a timetable for his return yet, New York had been getting by with Martin playing increased minutes. Now that Martin's return date is questionable, the Knicks figure to play more small-ball and rely more heavily on Chris Copeland and/or Steve Novak as they weigh their options.
As our list of current free agents shows, there aren't a ton of attractive veterans on the market, though our list doesn't include players in the D-League. Nate Taylor of the New York Times took a look at a few D-League options for the Knicks back in March.
According to Begley, no signing is imminent for the Knicks. The team would have to finalize a move within the next week in order for a new addition to be eligible for the postseason. Someone on the current roster would have to be released as well, since the Knicks are currently carrying the maximum 15 players.