The Knicks have added another name to the mix as training camp approaches, and this one comes with a chance to carve out a role behind Jalen Brunson.
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, New York signed Ochai Agbaji to an Exhibit 9 deal on Wednesday. Scotto also noted that Agbaji has averaged 7.2 points across four NBA seasons with the Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors, and Brooklyn Nets.
“The New York Knicks have signed Ochai Agbaji to an Exhibit 9 deal,” Scotto wrote on X/Twitter Wednesday. “Agbaji has averaged 7.2 points in four NBA seasons with the Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors, and Brooklyn Nets.”
Agbaji, who is 6-foot-5, entered the league with plenty of buzz after helping Kansas win an NCAA title as a senior. He went into the 2022 NBA Draft viewed as a clear first-round talent, and the Cavaliers took him with the No. 14 overall pick before shipping him to Utah ahead of his rookie season.
His first stop was with the Jazz, where he spent 1.5 years before another move sent him to Toronto alongside Kelly Olynyk. In that deal, the Raptors gave up Kira Lewis Jr., Otto Porter Jr., and a 2024 first-round pick.
The 2024-25 season stood out as Agbaji’s best stretch in the NBA so far. In 64 games, he put up 10.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per night while shooting 49.8% from the field and 39.9% from three. That run showed the kind of three-and-D value teams have been chasing.
His time with the Brooklyn Nets last season didn’t go nearly as smoothly from deep, though, as his three-point percentage dropped to 26.6%. Even so, the Knicks are giving him a shot to compete for an opening-night roster spot as they continue to build out the back end of the roster.
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