Bruce Brown spent much of the offseason in limbo after his time with the Denver Nuggets ended, with the expectation that his next stop would still be a contender. That part held true. On Wednesday, Brown signed an Exhibit 9 deal with the Knicks and will now try to win a spot on New York’s final roster.
Denver’s decision not to bring him back, while shifting its bench with new additions like Alpha Diallo, effectively closed the door there. The Nuggets even posted a graphic of the newcomer in No. 11, a sign that Brown was likely not in their plans. In the end, Denver’s move to add the 2025-26 EuroLeague DPOY at a team-friendly price made sense for the roster, but it may have created a better opening for Brown elsewhere.
That opening is in New York, where Brown now gets a chance to prove he can fit into a team trying to repeat. His versatility and two-way game give him a real shot to outlast the veterans on training camp deals: John Konchar, Ochai Agbaji, James Wiseman, and Drew Eubanks.
The Knicks entered the offseason focused on staying below the second tax apron, something owner James Dolan made clear. Still, if New York believes two of those players are worth carrying into the regular season, the team could move one of its other players to make room. Brown has a strong case to be one of the names that sticks.
He’s three years removed from being part of Denver’s 2023 title run, when he averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals in 28.5 minutes over 81 games. Last season, his numbers dipped to 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.0 steals in 24.4 minutes across 82 games, but he shot 38.5% from three, his best mark since he hit 40.4% from deep with the Nets in 2021-22.
What should help Brown most in New York is not just what he can do as a bench scorer, but how easily he fits into different roles. He’s the kind of plug-and-play piece who can handle a little bit of everything, and that style fits what the Knicks already value in Josh Hart - a winning player whose impact stretches beyond the box score.
His durability could matter, too. Brown gives Mike Brown a dependable option, someone he can trust to step in when a wing needs a night off.
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One name worth tracking in that process is Cam Whitmore, a young free agent looking for his next opportunity after being waived by Cleveland. Denver has shown interest, which fits the kind of bet a team in its position has to consider: upside on the wing, a chance to find value where the market is thinner, and another moving part in a summer that still has a few complications to sort through. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Took A Risk Moving On From Bruce Brown
Denvers decision to move on from Bruce Brown at the backup wing spot is the kind of roster choice that can look minor in July and loom much larger once the games get tight again. After the playoff series against Minnesota, the Nuggets opted for a different look and turned to rookie Alpha Diallo, betting that his defensive versatility can help fill a role that Brown had previously handled.
Brown, meanwhile, is trying to carve out his next opportunity with the Knicks, where he is in camp competing for a roster spot. For Denver, the appeal of Diallo is obvious beyond the defense: he comes in with a lower cap hit, which makes the move easier to justify on the numbers even as it leaves the Nuggets taking a real risk on a less proven option. [Read more 🡒]