Forget Carmelo Anthony for a bit, New York Knicks fans. General manager Donnie Walsh had admitted that what he would really like to add to his team is a big man. Apparently, Walsh has been working the phones lately trying to do just that.
Walsh's targets are reportedly Marc Gasol of the Vancouver Grizzlies and Joel Przybilla of the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Daily News says that "With the trading deadline still 30 days away, Walsh and the Knicks seem to be more focused on adding a big man and shoring up the backcourt than going after a major piece in Anthony."
The Knicks have been using Ronny Turiaf at center, but he is averaging just 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Timofey Mozgov and Anthony Randolph long ago fell out of coach Mike D'Antoni's rotation, forcing him to play Amare Stoudemire at center more than he would like. Thus, a dependable, defensive-minded center would seemingly be a good addition to the Knicks' rotation.
Przybilla is a 13-year veteran who seems like more of a stop-gap at center. He averages 4.1 points and 6.4 rebounds for his career. Gasol, who will be 26 in a few days, averages 12.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game over his three-year career. He can be a free agent at the end of this season.