The Knicks’ priority entering free agency was to add size. Phil Jackson, the team president, said he needed post players and noted that the team did not have a center on the roster.
So Jackson went out and targeted upper-echelon players like Greg Monroe, DeAndre Jordan and LaMarcus Aldridge. Monroe opted to join the Milwaukee Bucks. DeAndre Jordan on Friday agreed to sign with the Dallas Mavericks. And Aldridge, courted by several N.B.A. contenders, turned down a meeting with the Knicks.
The team’s fallback plan materialized in the wake of those misses, as the Knicks hashed out a deal with Robin Lopez, a 7-foot center who agreed to a four-year deal worth $54 million, according to a person briefed on the negotiations.