New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is inheriting nearly the same team that he had a few months ago, but there's one big change. The Knicks acquired Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets back in June for a multitude of future first-round picks and some salary-filling contracts.

The three-time All-Star power forward has yet to agree to a contract extension with the Knicks, and could become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau was asked how important the Nova Knicks connection is an interview with NBA.com's Steve Aschburner. While Thibodeau tried to downplay it, calling it "overrated," he then inadvertantly showed why their experience together is so important.

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau hinted that Randle, a three-time All-Star known primarily for playing the four, could step in as a backup center behind Mitchell Robinson.

Isaiah Hartenstein was as good a reserve center as there was in the league last season but took a big free agent payday to play for another contender in Oklahoma City. That leaves a combination of the feisty but undersized Precious Achiuwa and the athletic but raw Jericho Sims to do the job.

The New York Knicks will have opportunities throughout the season to play around with their starting lineup in order to get their best possible configuration. One possibility that the Knicks have yet to explore is the idea of Julius Randle coming off the bench,

Julius Randle's journey with the Knicks has been something of a roller coaster, dating back to the 2019-2020 season when he first arrived.