Julius Randle could help fill Isaiah Hartenstein void as Knicks continue center search

Tom Thibodeau is open to playing Julius Randle at center next season, but he fears that overexposing the All-Star to too much physicality could wear down his body. 

“We’ll probably have to do [center] by committee,” Thibodeau told veteran writer Steve Aschburner in a Q&A published Tuesday on NBA.com. “We’ll look at some different things, because we have versatility — we could see Julius more at the 5. I don’t want to do that for long stretches, it would take its toll, but to have him do it for 10 or 15 minutes, I think he can do it well. He also would create a lot of [offensive] advantages.” 

In the wake of Isaiah Hartenstein’s departure to Oklahoma City, the center rotation is the biggest concern internally with the roster, a team source said recently. 

Mitchell Robinson is the starter but injury-prone after undergoing multiple surgeries, most recently on his ankle. 

The backups are Jericho Sims, who is unproven but athletically gifted, and the undersized Precious Achiuwa, who is viewed more as a power forward. 

With training camp in two weeks, they’re still in the picture for backup center.