The Knicks may be giving a familiar face a real shot to stick.
Josh Brown, Ochai Agbaji and James Wiseman all signed non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deals this week, and Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post says only one of them appears likely to survive to opening night. That puts Brown in a tight race for a roster spot, but one that could work in his favor if he can recreate the kind of impact Landry Shamet made last season.
Vaccaro points out that New York had interest in Brown at the 2024 trade deadline, when the team tried to pull him in from Toronto. Brown, who already spent two seasons with Brooklyn earlier in his career, was open to coming back to the city, though the sides never found a deal.
“I love New York,” he said at the time. “I hated New York before I lived here, but as soon as I moved here, I loved it. Anytime you want to do something, you can go do it.”
The fit is easy to see. Vaccaro describes Brown’s game as “85% Josh Hart,” and says his value comes from being useful on both ends of the floor. He also notes that Brown could give the Knicks another body on the wing if a player such as Miles McBride eventually has to be moved in a deal for another backup center.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division, former Knicks center Ariel Hukporti is headed to Philadelphia with size that jumps off the page at 7’0″ and 246 pounds. Adam Aaronson of The Philly Voice writes that the question is whether Hukporti is ready for a bigger workload.
He has averaged 8.7 and 9.2 minutes per game over his first two NBA seasons, but the Sixers may need more from him if Joel Embiid is sidelined again by injuries. Aaronson says Hukporti’s rebounding rate is encouraging at 14.6 per 100 possessions, though his turnovers remain a problem at 3.7 in that same span.
Toronto, meanwhile, is drawing praise for both a bold trade and a clean-up move. In an offseason recap and early-season preview, Ben Golliver of ESPN said the Raptors not only landed a star in the Kawhi Leonard trade, but also helped themselves by moving Brandon Ingram’s contract to the Clippers. Golliver called that contract shift beneficial, noting that Ingram is owed $40MM this season and $41.9MM in 2027/28.
Zach Kram added another angle on Toronto’s outlook, identifying Collin Murray-Boyles as the team’s X factor and saying he can join Leonard and Scottie Barnes to form an elite defensive trio.
And in Brooklyn, a Brook Lopez reunion is being floated. Ivan White of SI argues that the Nets could make sense as a landing spot if Lopez becomes available, with his $9.2MM expiring deal potentially putting him in play through either a trade or a buyout if the Clippers’ season goes sideways.
In Other News...
Knicks Banner Night Against The Sixers Just Got An Awkward Twist
The Knicks banner-raising night against the Sixers took on an unexpected edge this week after the team acknowledged a ticket pricing mistake and paused individual game sales while it sorted out the numbers. What had been shaping up as a celebratory opener now comes with a little less polish, especially for fans hoping to be in the building for one of the seasons marquee moments.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Knicks fan, also said he will not attend because of the initially high ticket prices, a reminder of how quickly a big-night buzz can run into real-world sticker shock. The team said it will roll prices back to last years levels with an average 12% increase and refund customers who already bought at the higher rates, but the episode has already added an awkward twist to what should have been a clean celebration. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Brown Is Giving Fringe Knicks Hope They Rarely Get
The Knicks have spent the offseason adding names to the margins, bringing in Ochai Agbaji, John Konchar, Bruce Brown Jr. and Drew Eubanks on training camp deals. Under Mike Brown, though, those are not the kind of moves players automatically file away as camp bodies. Browns recent track record has given fringe hopefuls a reason to believe there is a real path from the end of the roster to the rotation.
That matters in a place like New York, where every roster spot is scrutinized and every opportunity feels hard-won. Players around the league notice when a coach is willing to look deeper than the obvious choices, and the Knicks have already become the kind of team some veterans and younger pieces view as a possible opening rather than a dead end. The question now is which of these camp additions can turn that belief into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Are Doubling Down On A Title Formula Fans Know Well
The Knicks have added another low-risk, defense-first piece to the mix in John Konchar, a veteran whose NBA resume is built less on scoring and more on doing the dirty work that tends to matter once the games get tighter. Over seven seasons, Konchar has made his living with defensive versatility, rebounding and enough playmaking to keep possession moving, traits that fit neatly alongside a roster already heavy on skill.
It is the kind of move that speaks to how New York wants to round out its group: surround the main options with players who compete, bother opponents and help tilt the floor without needing the ball. The intrigue now is where Konchar fits in the broader competition for minutes and whether the Knicks have found another role player who can help them sharpen the edge they are clearly trying to build. [Read more 🡒]