The Knicks are running out of time to fill their last guaranteed roster spot, and the search appears to be centered on a few familiar free-agent names.
With preseason set to begin on October 8th in Philadelphia against the Sixers and training camp approaching later this month, New York still has not signed a 14th player to a guaranteed contract. That’s where the latest rumor mill gets interesting.
Ian Begley of SNY reported last week that Drew Eubanks and John Konchar are both on the Knicks’ radar.
Eubanks, 29, is a 6’10 forward/center who has spent eight professional seasons bouncing from San Antonio to Portland to Phoenix to Utah to LA and Sacramento. He played for the Kings last season, putting up 5.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 13.1 minutes per game.
His year was cut short by injuries, though, as he played only 42 games after an avulsion fracture in his left thumb in December and a torn ulnar collateral ligament in that same finger in March. That UCL injury required season-ending surgery.
Konchar, meanwhile, became a free agent last Monday after Minnesota picked him up from Utah as cap filler in the Josh Green trade and then waived him once the deal was completed. The 30-year-old wing stands 6’5 and logged 4.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks in just under 20 minutes per game last season. He played 56 games between the Grizzlies and Jazz, and for his career he has shot 46.9% from the field and 34.9% from beyond the arc.
Bruce Brown is another name being floated. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported that Brown is on New York’s radar, noting that he is a CAA client and has a playing style similar to Josh Hart’s. Siegel also listed the Lakers as a possible destination, though he suggested the Knicks are the more realistic option.
Still, the roster math points in another direction. The Knicks have the final spot available under the second apron, and the expectation is that they’ll use it on a big man.
Brown is one of the best free agents left, but entering the season with only Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond at center would leave New York exposed. Leon Rose and the front office could try to patch things later through a trade, and they also have two-way slots they could use on bigs, but that’s a dangerous way to begin the year if Towns or Drummond misses time.
Ariel Hukporti averaged more than 10 minutes per game in the Sixers series and got spot minutes off the bench in Games 4 and 5 of the NBA Finals.
New York needs a third center.
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