The New York Knicks have two standard roster spots open, all three two-way slots available and one obvious need that remains unresolved.
Center.
SNY’s Ian Begley reported Thursday that Drew Eubanks and John Konchar are two free agents on New York’s radar, giving the Knicks options at two different positions as they decide how much of their remaining flexibility to use before opening night. (sny.tv)
The Eubanks interest is the more telling development.
New York enters September with Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond as its only established centers after losing Mitchell Robinson to Boston and Ariel Hukporti in free agency. The Knicks also made a two-year offer sheet to Moussa Cisse that Dallas matched and were linked earlier in the summer to several other centers.
That pattern has been consistent: New York wants another big.
The question is whether it wants one badly enough to fill a 14th roster spot now while potentially keeping the 15th spot open for flexibility around the trade deadline.
Drew Eubanks Fits Knicks’ Biggest Remaining Need
Eubanks would give New York exactly what its current roster lacks: another playable center who can absorb regular-season minutes without forcing Towns or Drummond into an oversized workload.
The 6-foot-10, 245-pound veteran appeared in 42 games, including 11 starts, for Sacramento last season, averaging 5.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 13.1 minutes. He shot 59.6% from the field.
Across eight NBA seasons, Eubanks has appeared in 426 games and averaged 5.6 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 60.3% from the field.
There is little mystery about his game. He screens, finishes around the rim, rebounds and provides some interior resistance. He would not need touches or a designed offensive role.
More importantly, he would give Mike Brown a third true center.
John Konchar Offers Different Kind of Depth
Konchar would address a less urgent area.
The 6-foot-5 wing played 56 games between Memphis and Utah last season, starting eight, and averaged 4.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19.9 minutes. He shot 47.2% from the field but only 28.3% from 3-point range.
His value has never been tied primarily to scoring.
Konchar rebounds unusually well for a guard-wing, keeps the ball moving and can defend multiple positions. He has averaged 4.0 rebounds in just 17.7 minutes over his seven-year career, an unusually productive rate for a 6-foot-5 perimeter player.
His outside shooting is the larger question. Konchar is a 34.9% career 3-point shooter, but last season represented a significant drop from that baseline.
Still, his low-usage style could fit around Jalen Brunson, Towns and New York’s established wings.
New York is not the only contender monitoring Konchar, either. The veteran wing has also been linked to the Miami Heat as Miami weighs how to use its final standard roster spot.
Knicks Could Preserve 15th Roster Spot
The roster math makes Eubanks the more logical target.
New York has 13 players on standard contracts, leaving two openings beneath the 15-player maximum. The Knicks also remain the only team with all three two-way slots available.
One plausible path is signing another center as the 14th player and deliberately entering the season without filling No. 15.
Doing so would preserve flexibility ahead of the trade deadline, when needs change, injuries accumulate and players unexpectedly become available.
Begley also expects Brunson and other veterans who logged heavy minutes during the championship run to receive lighter preseason workloads, creating opportunities for Mohamed Diawara, Tyler Kolek and Pacome Dadiet.
Konchar could deepen the perimeter rotation.
Eubanks addresses the more immediate problem.
If New York intends to use only one of its two remaining standard roster spots before opening night, another center remains the most obvious place to spend it.
Knicks Have 2 Free Agents on Radar as Roster Decision Looms: Insider