The Knicks still have work to do at the back end of the roster, and the picture is starting to sharpen around one position in particular: center.
New York entered training camp without a third-string center locked in, a direct consequence of its decision not to push past the NBA salary cap’s second apron. That choice helped force out Mitchell Robinson, and even after the Knicks brought in Andre Drummond to fill the void, they lost Ariel Hukporti when the Philadelphia 76ers offered him a full $1 million more than the minimum. Two days into camp and nearly three months into free agency, the Knicks are still sorting out the final pieces.
The latest move came Wednesday, when the team and John Konchar agreed to part ways. That opened the door for 28-year-old free agent center Tony Bradley, who had already been tied to the Knicks by SNY’s Ian Begley. Bradley now joins Drew Eubanks and James Wiseman in a camp battle that could decide the last standard roster spot.
The Knicks also used their two-way slots on Kevin McCullar Jr., rookie Tyler Nickel, and former Motor City Cruise guard Jaden Akins. With those spots spoken for, Bruce Brown and Ochai Agbaji appear to be on the outside looking in unless New York makes a trade.
For now, the Knicks have one standard roster opening left, and it would have to be filled with a veteran minimum contract because of the second-apron restriction. That leaves the 15th spot on the roster effectively unusable unless the team finds a way to create more flexibility.
The bigger issue is simple: New York has a real need at center and fewer ways to solve it than it has had all offseason. If the team decides it can’t move on from two of Eubanks, Wiseman, and Bradley, or if it views Brown or Agbaji as too important to lose, there may be no room left to make another addition.
That has pushed Pacôme Dadiet back into the conversation as a possible trade piece. If the Knicks need to clear space for another veteran, moving the 21-year-old Frenchman looks like the cleanest route. The problem is that there’s reportedly not much market for Dadiet, which could leave New York stuck trying to find a deal by attaching draft capital or giving up a player it actually wants to keep.
The second apron is squeezing roster plans all over the league, and the Knicks are feeling it too. Even after a title run, they’ve chosen not to cross that line, and now they’re trying to solve a roster puzzle with very little wiggle room. Rose’s front office has earned the benefit of the doubt, but the frustration around this approach is easy to understand.
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