James L. Edwards III is keeping the focus on the Knicks’ training camp battles, and there’s plenty to watch before opening night. Jalen Brunson’s surgically repaired wrist is one piece of the picture, while the fight for the 14th roster spot and the possibility of a trade before the season all remain in play.
One name worth tracking is 47th overall pick Tyler Nickel. Edwards notes that he is one of the few 2026 draftees who still hasn’t signed for the 2026/27 season.
If a federal ruling that would give him a fifth year of NCAA eligibility holds up, Nickel could end up making more through an NIL deal in college than on a two-way NBA contract. That raises the possibility that New York could try to clear a path to a standard contract on the 15-man roster instead.
That route would not be simple. Unless the Knicks change course on going past the second tax apron, or unless none of their five veteran camp invitees - Bruce Brown, John Konchar, Ochai Agbaji, Drew Eubanks, and James Wiseman - earn a roster spot, signing Nickel to a standard deal would require a trade. Edwards points to Miles McBride and Pacome Dadiet as the most likely trade candidates, though he says he’d be surprised if McBride is moved before the season starts.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic, Brian Lewis of The New York Post looked at which Nets players have the most to prove in 2026/27. His list includes Julius Randle, Michael Porter Jr., Noah Clowney, and Brooklyn’s 2025 first-round picks other than Egor Demin.
Porter and Clowney are in contract years, while Randle can opt out in 2027. Lewis also says Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf were “inconsistent at best” as rookies and need stronger sophomore seasons to show they belong in the team’s long-term plans.
Lewis also argues that general manager Sean Marks will be “under the microscope” next season. The Nets do not control their 2027 first-round pick, and the roster still does not look like a playoff team. That makes the development of young players such as Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. especially important for a front office that has stayed patient through rough draft-lottery luck.
On the Raptors side, one player agent told Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca that he questioned Toronto giving Kawhi Leonard a player option in his new two-year, $115MM extension, calling it a “great deal for Kawhi.” Grange, though, sees the option as something that could work for both sides, since it would give Leonard the chance to opt out in 2028 and sign a new multiyear deal with a lower starting salary, similar to what James Harden did in Cleveland this offseason.
In Other News...
Nets History's Biggest What-Ifs Are Suddenly Back In Focus
A recent podcast appearance by Peter Vecsey reopened a familiar Nets conversation: how a franchise with plenty of turning points has also spent years revisiting the ones that slipped away. Vecsey walked through several of the organizations defining crossroads, from why the Nets passed on Kobe Bryant in 1996 to the circumstances that helped push Julius Erving out the door, offering a reminder that the teams history is as much about decisions made as opportunities missed.
He also revisited Drazen Petrovics contract frustration and the possibility he could have gone overseas before his death, another sharp reminder of how fragile those eras could be. Vecsey widened the lens to more modern Nets business, too, weighing in on the James Harden trade and Sean Marks run as an executive, which keeps the franchises past and present tied together in the same uncomfortable question: which moves really defined the organization, and which ones still haunt it? [Read more 🡒]
Joe Tsai Just Framed The Pressure Around Brooklyns Rebuild
The Nets are deep into their first true rebuild since Joe Tsai took over as controlling owner in 2019, and hes making clear he understands the mood around it. Tsai described Brooklyns fanbase as sophisticated and patient, the kind of audience that expects the organization to build the right way through the draft rather than chase shortcuts, which fits a team still sorting out its long-term direction after the era of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden.
Tsai also acknowledged that Nets fans come with strong opinions, and that those voices matter because they help hold the organization accountable. In a market that has seen the whole arc from star-chasing to reset, the pressure now is different but no less real, with Brooklyn trying to show progress the patient way while knowing the scrutiny will only grow as the rebuild unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Added Two Forwards With A Bigger Goal Than The Roster
The Nets have filled out their roster with the signings of forwards Ben Humrichous and Dain Dainja, bringing the group to 21 players as camp approaches. Both are expected to be in training camp and could wind up spending most of their time with the Long Island Nets in the G League, which has become the standard holding pattern for players on the edge of the NBA roster.
Humrichous arrives on an Exhibit 10 deal after going undrafted, while Dainja comes in after a previous stop with the Miami Heat. For Brooklyn, the point is bigger than simply rounding out the depth chart, since these types of signings often serve as an early look at developmental pieces the organization wants to keep close and evaluate through camp. What happens next will depend on how they look once the pace picks up. [Read more 🡒]