The New York Knicks are deep into training camp, pushing to build a competitive squad, but the wildest story has to be how NBA champion Bruce Brown ended up fighting for a roster spot on an Exhibit 9 deal. New York signed a flurry of players before camp, including Brown, Ochai Agbaji, John Konchar, Drew Eubanks, and James Wiseman, all on those Exhibit 9 contracts. What’s absolutely nuts is the Knicks only have two open roster spots, and they are flirting with the second apron, meaning there’s way more at stake for this group than just playing well.
The “Second Apron” Almost Sank an NBA Champion
Brown himself has been super vocal about taking a training camp invitation from New York. He told The Post that teams’ worries about the dreaded “second apron” absolutely killed his free agent market. He went from logging 82 games last season with a title contender to almost no interest, saying the teams interested “weren’t many” and the excuse was always “the second apron.” It’s wild to think an NBA champion struggled that much to find a spot. But hey, good news for Brown: this veteran looks like he is in a prime position to snag one of those final spots. The other frontrunners are Miles McBride, Pacome Dadiet, and Mo Diawara, but Dadiet isn’t even a true roster presence. McBride and Diawara both bring stuff to the table, sure, but Brown’s all-around game could easily make up for losing either of them.
Utility Player With Championship DNA
This guy is the ultimate utility player. Head coach Mike Brown can plug him into a ton of different roles. Need to go big? Brown is a powerful would-be point guard. Want to go small? He can play forward. And check this out: Josh Hart is reportedly playing the rest of his career with a deformed finger on his shooting hand, so Brown is legit valuable insurance if Hart ever misses time. His “jack-of-all-trades repertoire” is a huge asset. Honestly, though, his championship experience might be his most valuable card to play. The dude just gets what it takes to compete for a title. If he makes the roster, he will earn $3.5 million. For New York, that’s a low-cost addition bringing valuable depth and versatility right when the regular season kicks off. Talk about a potential steal, right?
The regular season is right around the corner. If Brown locks down that spot, the Knicks just might have added championship DNA and versatility on the cheap, setting a fiery tone for Coach Brown’s squad. It is going to be fun to see what he brings once the games really start counting.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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