Drew Eubanks’ bid for a Knicks roster spot has been wiped out by a torn pectoral muscle, and New York plans to waive the veteran center, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
Charania reported that the injury will keep Eubanks out for an “extended period of time,” effectively ending his chance to win the team’s third center job. Eubanks had been part of a three-man competition for that role, alongside James Wiseman and Tony Bradley.
The 29-year-old arrived in camp with plenty of NBA mileage already behind him. Since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2018, he has appeared in 426 regular season games across stints with the Spurs, Trail Blazers, Suns, Jazz, Clippers, and Kings. Last season with Sacramento, he played in 42 games and made 11 starts, averaging 5.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per game.
Eubanks also logged preseason time with New York, but only briefly. He played in three exhibition games and finished with 13 points and three rebounds in 28 minutes.
Because Eubanks was signed to an Exhibit 9 contract, the Knicks are protected from paying his salary while he recovers from the injury. Waiving him will cost the team a one-time $15K payment, which counts against the cap.
With Eubanks now out of the picture, the most likely battle for the 14th spot on the regular season roster appears to be down to Wiseman and Bradley. Ian Begley of SNY.tv confirmed this morning that Wiseman had already emerged as the frontrunner for that opening.
New York does still have the option of adding another player through free agency or trade, or even starting the season without a third center on the standard roster. The Knicks currently have 13 players on guaranteed deals, and while they could technically keep two camp invitees - a group that includes Bruce Brown and Ochai Agbaji as well as the centers - carrying 15 players would push team salary above the second tax apron, something owner James Dolan has said is off the table.
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