If the New York Knicks' goal was to avoid breaking the bank and not sign the top free agent names, mission accomplished.
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Despite their Mark Reynolds-esque strikeouts, the Knicks have fallen into what makes for an incredibly intriguing long-term duo in their frontcourt. Mitchell Robinson, the 36th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, had a successful rookie campaign where he flashed high-level athleticism and rim protection. His newest partner-in-crime is Julius Randle, yet to turn 25 and coming off a career year with the New Orleans Pelicans where he averaged 21.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists.

Dario Saric may already be 25, but he is still playing on his rookie contract. He's the new Phoenix Suns frontcourt mate for DeAndre Ayton, who recently celebrated his 21st birthday. If the organization plays its cards right, this is a marriage that could last a long time.

The Suns acquired Saric on draft night as the entree of their moves smorgasbord, trading down from the sixth spot to number eleven with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and adding Saric for their troubles. Whether with the Philadelphia 76ers or the Wolves, he has flanked elite scoring 5-men as the perfect theoretical complement due to his perimeter game and size. The Suns are hoping he continues that trend.

Saric was at peak production when with the 76ers and center Joel Embiid. In 2017-18, the duo was a plus-12.9 per 100 possessions, good for 98th percentile across the NBA, according to Cleaning the Glass. Ayton certainly is no Embiid at this stage in his career, and likely will not add the isolation scoring polish the Sixers big possesses.
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But there's a lot that Ayton is really good at already, much less what he could become elite with. And there is a bit of a misleading narrative in talking about Saric through the lense of how he fits next to other bigs: just how good he is himself.

You have probably heard the saying dozens of times, from even the highest-profile basketball analysts on television:

"The NBA is a guard-oriented league."

To a large extent, the saying contains a lot of truth. Modernized spacing concepts lead to wider driving lanes, making it easier to be a guard than ever. Crunch time sets still revolve around isolations and ball screens where handlers that can make the reliable play are paramount. Teams are even beginning to downsize their rosters, playing more guards than ever before and making the term "power forward" extinct.

Recent draft nights have shown the struggles for centers and traditional big men. In 2019, only one player 6'10" or taller was taken in the lottery (Jaxson Hayes by the New Orleans Pelicans), and only three others were drafted in the first round. Five years ago that number was at seven. While wings are en vogue, the center position is seen as a very replaceable one where serviceable veterans are a dime a dozen. The trends are certainly changing towards skill and versatility over size and strength.
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So, why are teams still investing in high-caliber frontcourt tandems?

In a five-part series here at TBW, we will dive into rosters that are banking a lot of money and/or valuable draft picks on a collection of young frontcourt talent (under the age of 25) as hopeful foundational pieces while bucking (and sometimes, re-writing) the trends.

Caris LeVert, Derrick White, Kyle Kuzma and Pascal Siakam are all considered significant young building blocks for their franchises. They are all on rookie scale contracts, all on teams with championship hopes and all have already received praise for their play.

All four are also older than Phoenix Suns wing Kelly Oubre Jr.

Despite what seemed like an eternity wasting away on the Washington Wizards bench, Oubre is a mere 23 years old. He's oozing with potential as a Gumby-esque athlete that seems to stretch his limbs in supernatural ways. A walking defensive disruption, Oubre recently re-signed with the Suns on a two-year, $30 million deal that protects the franchise from his erratic inconsistencies and allows him to hit the free agent market when he's 25.
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There's something about Oubre's unique skills that makes me want to start a bandwagon and hitch it to him in Phoenix.

Don't look now, but the Indiana Pacers have re-tooled on the fly and vastly improved their roster.
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The loss of Bojan Bogdanovic hurt, but throw Jeremy Lamb, TJ Warren and Malcolm Brogdon into the mix and they come out with a net positive.

When the Boston Celtics and Kyrie Irving divorce became inevitable, the franchise saw an opportunity. With a few shrewd moves, including a draft night trade and the renouncing of some key free agent cap holds, the Celtics could once again clear enough room to offer a max contract on the open market. The target of their lust for a superstar: point guard Kemba Walker.

In some ways, the cost of acquiring Walker—letting Al Horford and Marcus Morris walk away—was steeper than just the $141 million deal  he's reportedly going to sign. In others, it was the only way to salvage a team built for contention over these next few years.

What may be most exciting for Celtics fans (and head coach Brad Stevens) is the offensive shift that will occur as the team sheds Kyrie's ball-dominant nature.

Gone are the frequent end-game isolations, the ball-begging and the offense designed around one primary creator. What Kemba Walker represents is a top-notch scorer that is capable of holding the same role, but also a willing enough teammate to play in an off-ball role.
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We could be seeing the return of the Celtics' style that once made Isaiah Thomas a star.