New York added Ochai Agbaji, Bruce Brown, James Wiseman, John Konchar and Drew Eubanks to non-guaranteed deals. The team currently carries 13 guaranteed contracts and sits with a bit more than $3 million in room beneath the second apron, effectively leaving one available roster slot. Those constraints turned this round of signings into a consequential experiment rather than routine paperwork.
Last year’s similar camp competition produced Landry Shamet, who became a key rotation piece during the Knicks’ championship run and later secured a four-year contract. That precedent explains why the front office deploys Exhibit 9s as low-cost scouting tools: the odds are long, but the upside can be material.
The departures and prior moves that created the need are clear. Backup centre Mitchell Robinson signed with the Boston Celtics, and the team’s nominal replacement, Andre Drummond, is widely viewed as a downgrade. The club pursued other avenues to add size, attempting a trade for Yves Missi and tendering an offer sheet to restricted free agent Moussa Cissé, which Dallas matched. With those options closed, Wiseman and Eubanks become the internal centre candidates; Wiseman brings draft pedigree as the No. 2 pick in 2020 but has been limited by a torn Achilles and has appeared in only five games over the last two seasons, while Eubanks is an experienced journeyman who drew sparse minutes with Sacramento last season.
New York also signed three wings, a deliberate move that creates perimeter depth the team can trade from if necessary. Bruce Brown, John Konchar and Ochai Agbaji expand the list of movable pieces the Knicks can package when searching for a playoff-calibre big. Julius “Miles” McBride’s affordable, team-friendly contract, which pays just below $4 million this season, and the club’s now-tradable 2033 first-round pick give the front office tangible leverage on the market.
It remains unlikely any of these Exhibit 9 signees will match Shamet’s impact, but their presence matters beyond immediate minutes. The camp competition will reveal whether one becomes a rotation-worthy tile or a bargaining chip in a low-cap environment. If the Knicks cannot secure a true playoff centre from within, the next step will almost certainly be a trade, with timing and assets driven by which of these players proves most useful to rival clubs.
