The Knicks did some housekeeping before their final preseason game, waiving Ochai Agbaji, Tony Bradley, and Drew Eubanks, who is out indefinitely after suffering a torn pectoral muscle. That still leaves New York with enough financial breathing room to add one veteran-minimum player, and it also puts Leon Rose in position to keep scanning the market as rosters get squeezed down before Opening Night.
That matters because the churn around the league is far from finished. Teams have until the start of the new season on Oct. 20 to get to 15 standard contracts or fewer, and there are still four clubs - the Bucks, Hornets, Grizzlies, and Lakers - sitting above that threshold.
One of the Knicks’ more interesting swings already came when Rose tried to pry Cisse away from Dallas on a restricted free agent deal this summer. The offer was cheap enough that the Mavericks had no trouble matching it, even with their excess of big men.
By matching, Cisse picked up a no-trade clause, and Dallas wouldn’t be able to send him to New York for a year. The Mavericks also have 15 fully guaranteed contracts already, and Cisse’s 2026-27 salary became guaranteed on Oct.
Still, that door may not be completely shut. There has been chatter about Dwight Powell, who is in Mavericks camp on a non-guaranteed deal, potentially making the team.
Dallas could clear a spot through a trade, but that gets tricky with Opening Night so close. If that situation shifts, the Knicks’ Cisse hopes may not be dead yet.
Milwaukee is another team worth watching, especially with Jericho Sims in the mix. Sims opted into his $2.8 million player option for next season, but the Bucks could move on from him. They already have 17 players on standard deals and more than enough bodies in the frontcourt, and in what looks like a post Giannis Antetokounmpo rebuild, Sims may be the odd man out.
Knicks fans already know what Sims brings. He’s the type who can chew up regular-season minutes, and last year he averaged a career-best 19.9 minutes while posting 5.0 points and 5.5 rebounds. There are also rumors that the Lakers have interest in a swap involving Dalton Knecht, per NBA Insider Jake Fischer (h/t Dunk Central on Twitter).
Then there’s Jordan Peavy, who was drafted 40th overall last summer and appeared in 61 games, including four starts, for the Pelicans before being moved to the Grizzlies because of a roster crunch. He’s back on a bubble now, but his defense keeps him in the conversation. New Orleans was +1.8 better in defensive rating when Peavy was on the floor for his 743 minutes, per NBA.com.
The offensive numbers are rough, and his perimeter shooting has been a concern. He hit just 25.9% from three, though he closed the final games of his season by going 7-for-17 from deep when his role expanded. That makes him an interesting 3-and-D project, even if the shot is still a work in progress.
On the rebounding front, Oscar Tshiebwe stands out. He’s on a non-guaranteed deal with the Rockets, and even at 6-foot-8, he’s known for cleaning up the glass.
In 49 NBA games, his per-36 numbers are 15.3 rebounds and 6.3 offensive boards. The 26-year-old spent the last two seasons on a two-way deal with Utah and remains eligible for the season ahead, and he showed off what he can do in the final two games of the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 22.5 points and 19.5 rebounds in over 30 minutes a night.
The Blazers also have a possible cut candidate in Duop Reath. Portland claimed him off waivers from Indiana over the summer, and the 6-foot-9 big man is on a non-guaranteed contract that doesn’t fully lock in until Jan.
10, 2027. Last season with the Pacers, the 28-year-old put up career highs with 9.7 points and 5.0 rebounds in 47 games, while shooting 42.3% from three on 3.6 attempts per game.
His ability to play both power forward and center gives him some real lineup flexibility for coach Mike Brown.
And then there’s Powell, who remains in Dallas camp trying to win his spot back with the franchise he’s spent all but five games of his career with. The 35-year-old hasn’t averaged more than 15 minutes per game since 2022-23, but he’s still viewed as a reliable pro. If the Mavericks decide making room for him is too difficult, the idea of chasing a title in New York could still have appeal, especially since he’s already familiar with Jalen Brunson.
In Other News...
Nets Are Suddenly In The Middle Of A Karl-Anthony Towns Debate
Karl-Anthony Towns has already become one of the more complicated talking points around the Knicks, and the uncertainty comes from more than just basketball fit. With Leon Rose and James Dolan involved on the executive side, the team is facing the kind of internal balancing act that can shape a decision long before it reaches the trade market.
If the Knicks do decide to move Towns, there would not be a shortage of interested teams, with the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls among the clubs mentioned as possible suitors because of their cap space and roster fit. Nothing is imminent, but the important part is that New York controls the situation, and any call on Towns would be theirs to make. [Read more 🡒]
Former Knicks Big Man Suddenly In The Middle Of Lakers Trade Buzz
The Lakers are trying to sort through a tricky roster decision before the deadline, and one former Knicks big man has surfaced in the conversation. Los Angeles is looking at trade possibilities that could help it avoid waiving Dalton Knecht, with the front office exploring different ways to reshape the back end of the roster while also keeping an eye on draft-pick value.
Jericho Sims is among the names being discussed as part of those talks, with Milwaukee and Memphis also mentioned as teams that could factor into the mix. Nothing has been finalized, and the conversations remain exploratory, but it is another reminder that players the Knicks once developed can pop back into the leagues trade chatter in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Brunsons Knicks Sacrifice Is Creating A New Roster Problem
Jalen Brunsons decision to sign a four-year extension worth around $156.5 million in 2024 was widely viewed as a sacrifice, a way to give the Knicks more room to build around him. New York used that flexibility to bring in high-end help such as OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns, all in service of a roster built to chase a title in the 2026 playoffs.
Now that same approach is creating a different kind of pressure. Carmelo Anthony pointed to Brunsons deal as a precedent that may have raised expectations for other players to take less, and that has started to complicate negotiations with Towns and Josh Hart. The Knicks have found a model for competing at the top, but the challenge is keeping that model from turning into a sticking point when the next contracts come due. [Read more 🡒]