Hours after adding Drew Eubanks and John Konchar to the fold, New York Knicks president Leon Rose continues to tend to his Garden.
The Knicks added a trio of notable names on Exhibit 9 deals on Wednesday, as Ochai Agbaji, Bruce Brown, and James Wiseman will all have an opportunity to compete for a roster spot when training camp opens later this month.
New York also confirmed the signings of Konchar and Eubanks, originally reported by Shams Charania and Ian Begley, respectively.
It’s a return to New York for the Kansas alum Agbaji, who spent 20 games with the Brooklyn Nets last season. The 2022 Big 12 Player of the Year and Final Four Most Outstanding Player has also played for Utah and Toronto since entering the Association as the 14th overall pick.
Agbaji was originally drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers but was sent to Salt Lake City as part of the famous Donovan Mitchell deal. He has averaged 7.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in his NBA career.
Having lost a few champions from last year’s Finals-winning roster, the Knicks add another in Brown, who is fresh off a second tour of duty with the Denver Nuggets. He also once dwelled on Atlantic Avenue, playing two seasons in Brooklyn (2020-22) after two in Detroit.
Brown was one of 18 players (along with new teammate Mikal Bridges) to play in each of his team’s 82 games last season. Having become a fan favorite for his tenacious two-way game with the Nets, he is best known for his work during the Nuggets’ 2023 championship run.
When franchise face Nikola Jokic endured foul trouble in Game 4 against the Miami Heat, it was Brown who stepped up to the tune of 11 fourth-quarter points off the bench in a 108-95 victory that provided a 3-1 series lead. Brown then put in the putback that gave Denver a permanent lead in the Game 5 clincher before sinking in the final free throws of a 94-89 triumph.
“Can I say that I envisioned him scoring 11 [fourth quarter] points on the road in Game 4 of the Finals? I can’t say that. But I did envision him being a ball-handler, a playmaker,” then-Nuggets head coach and former Knicks assistant Michael Malone said after Brown’s Game 4 heroics, per Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
“I watched him for the years that I’ve coached against him. I watched him in the [2022] playoffs last year against Boston, saw his impact of guarding guys like [Jayson] Tatum and [Jaylen] Brown, but his ability to facilitate, play with the ball, play off the ball, make shots.”
Rounding out the list of newcomers is James Wiseman, who made four appearances with the Indiana Pacers last season. Wiseman began his career with the Golden State Warriors and also spent a season with the Detroit Pistons.
The oft-injured and inconsistent center (playing more than 40 games just once in his NBA career) was the second overall choice in the 2020 draft out of Memphis and won an NBA title with the Warriors despite missing his entire second season due to the aftershocks of a torn meniscus.
Competing for a spot behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond is the latest chance to reclaim the narrative of his professional endeavors.
An Exhibit 9 contract is a non-guaranteed, one-year deal that does not start counting against the salary cap/luxury tax until opening night. It includes an injury provision of $15,000 that does count against those, and teams can carry no more than six at a time.
Such an approach seems to be one of the top financial remedies for the Knicks, who have publicly committed to staying under the restrictive second salary apron since winning the title. New York will likely be able to keep only one of the Exhibit 9 players while staying compliant, but a trade could open things up further.
