With an unappetizing selection of centers left in free agency, many have wondered if the Knicks would address their sudden frontcourt holes via trade. There's a few promising (and lower-cost) big men around the league who are theoretically available for the right price, like the Pelicans' Yves Missi.As it turns out, according to Chris Haynes, New York has "tried feverishly" to trade for Missi since losing Mitchell Robinson on Wednesday. But Leon Rose has been rebuffed "multiple times."Sources: New York Knicks have tried feverishly to trade for New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi after losing Mitchell Robinson, but offers have been rejected multiple times. Pelicans view Missi as a vital core figure and the message is that he’s unavailable. pic.twitter.com/EZYlzAEy1o— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 2, 2026Some might wonder why the Pels are playing this kind of hardball with a reserve they demoted this season, but this news points to the bigger issues the Knicks face this summer as they pursue a trade.Knicks face several challenges in center trade talks during offseasonUnwilling trade partnersFirst and foremost, no one around the league likely wants to help New York shore up its biggest weakness so soon after winning the championship. The first thought that's going to come to mind when teams see the Knicks calling is them hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy, and realizing they're the one they need to knock off from the mountaintop.Now, with some time, this dynamic likely changes. As the season gets underway, what happened in last year's playoffs won't be top of mind as much. This is how the defending champion Thunder came away with Jared McCain at this year's trade deadline.But in the short-term, New York doesn't have many friends around the league, especially since its roster was built through direct deals with other franchises. These same Pelicans sent the Knicks Jose Alvarado at this year's deadline, and given how he ended up deciding these Finals, New Orleans may not be eager to be ridiculed for giving up another player who goes on to do great things in the Big Apple.As a result of all of this, that's going to mean steeper prices for New York, on top of the "champion tax" it must pay post-title to sway trade partners.Lack of premium assets, financial flexibilitySpeaking of putting together deals, the Knicks are lacking much in terms of trade bait to really catch teams' attention.Yes, they have plenty of second-round pick ammo to attach to any trade, but that likely won't be enough to entice most franchises to do business with a top threat. It's not like New York has much in terms of tradable first-round capital handy at the moment, either.That means the Knicks have to hope someone like Miles McBride, Pacôme Dadiet, or Tyler Kolek intrigues another squad. But including any of those guys isn't going to make an opposing team suddenly agree on the spot. They all have varying appeal in their own way, but that also means different, more specific markets for each that limits possible landing spots for them. That landing spot also needs to overlap with having a big man worth trading for, which again makes the trade partner pool limited.And on top of it all, any center New York covets also must fit its strict mandate to not go over the second apron. With only a few names that check all of the Knicks' boxes, and not exactly any premium trade chips, this only further complicates any hopes of securing an impactful swap.Knicks have zero leverage in center trade talks with other teamsPerhaps worst of all, the entire NBA realizes New York is backed into a corner. The team just lost its coveted big man and his backup, and every front office knows how bleak the remaining free agents are.With the Knicks not having any true trade-sealing asset to put on the table, other GMs can try to squeeze Rose for every last thing he's willing to give up. This Missi news surfacing only makes New York look even more desperate to whomever it rings up next, too. That kills any chance of getting a "good" deal or possibly stealing an undervalued player from another roster.Of course, Rose probably has a trade price he doesn't want to go over. This could result in him passing on any deal and trying to ride the storm out with lesser free agents. That's far from the ideal outcome, but it may arrive as a consequence of these unique elements working against the Knicks' favor.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow