The Knicks aren't taking it easy after winning the championship. New York is in the final stretch of the offseason looking to complete their roster without gaps and has focused on two veteran free agents, according to Ian Begley at SNY.tv. Mike Brown's team aims to strengthen their defense, and the names are Drew Eubanks and John Konchar.
Drew Eubanks, Third Center and Two-Way Contract
Eubanks has accumulated eight NBA seasons split between San Antonio, Portland, Phoenix, Utah, the Clippers, and the Kings. Last season in Sacramento, he averaged 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 13.1 minutes per game. He's not a flashy player, but rather a hard-working one, and that's exactly the role he would fill: third center and emergency minutes.
If the Knicks decide to sign him, all signs point to it being on a non-guaranteed contract, which would allow them to make adjustments during the preseason without cost.
John Konchar, and an Open Bidding War
We've been following Konchar's situation. The shooting guard became a free agent last Saturday after being waived by the Minnesota Timberwolves and, at 30 years old, has only worn two jerseys: six and a half seasons in Memphis and a stint in Utah.
He doesn't appear in highlight reels either, but he brings three things that complete any roster: perimeter rebounding, versatile defense, and shooting ability. Last season he posted 4.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 19.9 minutes, split between Memphis and Utah. His three-point percentage, however, dropped to 28.3 percent, well below his career 34.9 percent.
New York isn't alone in this: the Miami Heat have also positioned themselves for him, with an open roster spot and around $2.5 million in room to sign him to a veteran's minimum.
The Problem Is the Apron
And here's the detail that conditions everything. The Knicks currently have thirteen guaranteed contracts and their proximity to the second apron leaves them very little room to maneuver.
The second apron is the most restrictive threshold in the current salary cap system: teams that exceed it lose practically all tools to acquire players, cannot combine salaries in trades or use exceptions, and face penalties on their future draft picks. In other words, a champion with an expensive roster has less capacity to strengthen than a team in the bottom half of the league.
That's why the path forward is the veteran's minimum and non-guaranteed contracts, the only two formulas still available in that situation. And that's also why Miami, with more room to work, has a certain advantage if the bidding war for Konchar heats up.