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oct 18 2026The New York Knicks now have their roster set to defend the title. The defending champion has cut Bruce Brown, according to Shams Charania on ESPN, and will keep James Wiseman, who enters the regular season roster as a backup center. It was the final decision pending for Mike Brown before Tuesday's debut against the 76ers.
Both arrived at camp on an Exhibit 9 contract, with minimum salary and no guarantees, competing for the 14th roster spot. Money weighed as much as basketball. According to Hoops Rumors, keeping both Brown and Wiseman would have pushed the Knicks into second apron territory, something owner James Dolan was unwilling to accept.
Wiseman, the Third Big Man
The choice has a basketball explanation: interior play. Mitchell Robinson left this summer for the Boston Celtics, and the Knicks signed Andre Drummond as a replacement for Karl-Anthony Towns. Wiseman will be the third big man. The No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft has played just five games over the past two seasons with the Indiana Pacers, but left good impressions in the preseason, averaging 8 points and 4.3 rebounds over four games. The Knicks plan to convert his contract to a minimum salary deal.
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Bruce Brown, Awaiting His Destination
For Brown, the cut is a blow after a solid season in Denver, where he didn't miss a single game. In 82 games with the Nuggets, he averaged 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 24 minutes, shooting 38.5% from three. An NBA champion with Denver in 2023, the shooting guard goes to waivers: any team not hard-capped can claim his contract. If no one does, it's not ruled out that the Knicks could try to bring him back later.
