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And then there were two.
The Knicks waived three players on nonguaranteed contracts ahead of Thursday’s preseason finale, leaving James Wiseman and Bruce Brown as the two remaining for at least one roster spot.
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Centers Drew Eubanks and Tony Bradley were cut, along with athletic wing Ochai Agbaji. Eubanks suffered a torn pectoral muscle this week, sealing his fate with the Knicks.
But Wiseman was the front-runner since camp started, as The Post reported, and the 25-year-old enhanced his standing with an 18-point, 10-rebound effort in Tuesday’s preseason loss to the Raptors.
The Knicks, who are thin in the frontcourt with only Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond, have prioritized a center for their final roster spot, giving Wiseman the inside track for a roster spot. The former second overall pick has been saddled by injuries throughout his career — and was waived last season by the Pacers — but has a fan in Knicks head coach Mike Brown, who coached Wiseman as the top assistant with the Warriors.
James Wiseman of the New York Knicks boxes out during the game against the Toronto Raptors. NBAE via Getty Images
“He’s young, he’s talented. He’s raw, still,” Brown said. “I think he’s still trying to establish a foothold in this league. But with his God-given attributes he has in terms of athleticism and length and quickness, [it] can bode well for him on both ends of the floor.
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“He hasn’t even reached his prime.”
Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard, back, tries to steal the ball from New York Knicks guard Bruce Brown. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP
Bruce Brown, a combo guard who was a key piece of the 2023 Nuggets title team, has also impressed in camp and holds, by far, the best NBA résumé of the players on nonguaranteed deals. To keep both Wiseman and Brown, the Knicks would have to make a trade to free up enough cap space under the second apron.
“Bruce has been through a lot with a lot of different teams at a pretty high level,” Mike Brown said. “His toughness, his experience, his feel, all those things, he’s a winner.
“It seems like every place he’s gone, he’s won….
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/two-players-remain-battle-final-174641509.html
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Publish date : 2026-10-15 17:46:00
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