The New York Knicks made their final roster move of the preseason on Saturday, waiving veteran guard Bruce Brown as they finalized their roster for the 2026-27 season.
Obviously, the decision clears the way for former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman to remain on the regular-season roster before the campaign begins Tuesday.
Wiseman averaged 8.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in four preseason games after joining New York on an Exhibit 9 training camp deal. The Knicks are now expected to convert that deal to a league minimum contract.
New York needed more frontcourt depth after Mitchell Robinson left in free agency for the Boston Celtics and Ariel Hukporti left to join the Philadelphia 76ers. The Knicks added Andre Drummond as their primary backup center behind Karl-Anthony Towns, and Wiseman is now able to provide another option as a third-string center.
Wiseman, however, has only played in five NBA games over the past two seasons with Indiana. His last extended run came with Detroit in 2023-24, when he averaged 7.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in 63 appearances.
It’s fair to say that the former Golden State Warriors lottery pick did enough during the preseason to secure a spot as New York’s backup center and convince Mike Brown that he deserved the final roster spot.
Brown, meanwhile, will become a free agent after spending last season with the Denver Nuggets, where he appeared in all 82 games and averaged 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists… only to not get a guaranteed deal this summer.
Good luck, Bruce, and welcome to New York (now for good), James!
Gn sports
