Andre Drummond grew up rooting for the Knicks, watched their championship run from the other side last spring, and now arrives in Greenburgh as the one significant new face on a roster built to defend its title.
The 33-year-old center joined New York after a season in Philadelphia that ended with the Knicks sweeping the 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. That series launched a postseason stretch that became the most dominant in league history, and Drummond said he saw the championship potential before the run was complete.
“After our series, I told a friend that they could really pull this off,” Drummond said Tuesday. “Then they did.”
A new backup look behind Towns
Drummond takes the place of Mitchell Robinson, who departed for Boston after serving as Karl-Anthony Towns’ primary backup. Robinson, New York’s longest-tenured player, supplied major work on the glass and at the defensive end, and the Knicks are not asking Drummond to duplicate him.
“Mitch means a lot to all of us,” captain Jalen Brunson said. “The good thing is Andre isn’t here to become Mitch. He’s here to be Andre. We have to give him the space to do that.”
New York otherwise retained much of the group that carried the title team. Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado and Jordan Clarkson returned as reserves, while the starting five enters a second straight season together. That continuity puts Drummond in an unusual spot: a veteran joining a settled championship rotation rather than another reshaped roster.
“It feels like you’re the outsider trying to find your place,” Drummond said. “But the guys have been very welcoming.”
Mike Brown expects the adjustment to come quickly.
“He’s a veteran who has seen a lot and played for several teams,” Brown said.
Homecoming with a championship opportunity
Drummond is from nearby Mount Vernon and later played one season at UConn. Before the summer, he had not shared an NBA locker room with the Knicks’ central group, knowing most of them only casually. Brunson helped break that ice by bringing Drummond to his birthday gathering.
When the center weighed his free-agent choices, the fit with the club he supported as a kid stood out.
“It lined up with where I am in my career and with what this team just accomplished,” Drummond said. “They won a championship. Bringing my experience and what I can offer made it the right decision for me and my family.”
Drummond brings 14 seasons of NBA mileage and a long record as one of the league’s premier rebounders. He owns career averages of 12.1 points and 11.9 rebounds, led the NBA in rebounding four times, and has collected more boards than every player who entered the league after him in 2012 except LeBron James.
More range late in his career
The 6-foot-11 center is also trying to add a different wrinkle to the Knicks’ second unit. Drummond knocked down 32 3-pointers in 2025-26 after making only 18 over his first 13 NBA seasons. He said he intends to take open perimeter looks when the offense creates them.
That expanded range will not replace his usual responsibilities: controlling the defensive glass, screening, defending pick-and-roll actions and providing a stabilizing locker-room presence behind Towns.
“I can still rebound at a high level,” Drummond said. “With the 3-point shot now, plus being able to defend pick-and-roll, I can bring different things. Being a strong locker-room presence is a big reason I’m still here.”
For a Knicks team with almost every key piece back in place, Drummond’s task is straightforward: learn the rhythm of a champion, give Brown dependable frontcourt minutes, and help New York stay there.
