One of the more intriguing stretch-five options on the New York Knicks’ late-offseason radar is off the market.
Duop Reath has agreed to a one-year deal with the Phoenix Suns, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The move comes one day after New York signed Drew Eubanks and James Wiseman to Exhibit 9 contracts, effectively reshaping its search for a third center behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond.
The Knicks had been in contact with Reath before camp, according to SNY’s Ian Begley. New York also had discussions with Wiseman before ultimately signing the former No. 2 pick, while Eubanks joined the competition as a more conventional veteran reserve.
Reath would have offered something neither Eubanks nor Wiseman quite does: a legitimate floor-spacing center.
Duop Reath Would Have Given Knicks a Different Look
Reath, 30, spent the past three seasons with Portland and appeared in 146 NBA games, including 68 starts. He averaged 6.2 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 35.7% from 3-point range for his career.
His best recent shooting stretch came last season, when he hit 41.8% of his 3-point attempts before a right foot stress fracture ended his year and required surgery in January.
That skill set made Reath an appealing theoretical fit behind Towns.
New York already has shooting at center when Towns is on the floor. But once he sits, the spacing can change considerably with Drummond or another traditional big. Reath could have allowed the Knicks to preserve a five-out look in certain second-unit combinations.
Instead, Phoenix moved first.
Knicks Center Battle Now Tilts Toward Eubanks, Wiseman
With Reath gone, the Knicks’ No. 3 center competition becomes more defined.
Eubanks, 29, has nine years of NBA experience and averaged 5.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 42 games for Sacramento last season. He has made 86 career starts and brings a more established record as a physical, low-maintenance reserve big.
Wiseman, 25, offers the upside play.
The former No. 2 pick has size, athleticism and a higher theoretical ceiling, but his career has been repeatedly interrupted by injuries. His Exhibit 9 deal gives New York a chance to evaluate whether there is still enough there to warrant a regular-season role.
That leaves two very different options for the same job.
Eubanks is the safer floor.
Wiseman is the bigger swing.
Reath would have been the shooting specialist.
Suns Move Quickly After Mark Williams Injury
Phoenix had a more urgent reason to act.
Starting center Mark Williams is expected to miss about five months after shoulder surgery, creating an immediate need for frontcourt depth. Reath now joins a Suns center group that also includes Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro.
For the Knicks, losing Reath is less a setback than a clarification.
They already pivoted toward Eubanks and Wiseman.
Now, with the stretch-five option off the board, New York’s third-center battle is simpler. The training camp will determine whether the Knicks favor reliability or upside.
Knicks Lose Stretch 5 Target After Eubanks, Wiseman Additions