With a few weeks away from training camp, the New York Knicks’ roster is still taking shape. They already lost Mitchell Robinson and could lose another of their longest-tenured Knicks. That’s why the team moved quickly to secure John Konchar’s signing.
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“Free agent forward John Konchar has agreed to a one-year deal with the New York Knicks, agent George S. Langberg of @GSLSportsGroup tells ESPN,” Shams Charania tweeted. “Konchar is entering his eighth NBA season.”
It was the Jazz that traded Konchar and Cody Williams to the Timberwolves for Josh Green. Reports clearly indicated that Minnesota was only interested in keeping Williams and was waiving Konchar. The Heat, Magic, and Raptors were interested in him, but the Knicks snapped him up.
Konchar went through three organizational changes in roughly seven months: Memphis traded him to Utah in February, Utah sent him to Minnesota on August 29, and the Timberwolves waived him later that day before he signed with the Knicks.
The Knicks are the fourth organization Konchar has been with since February, though New York gives the veteran wing his first opportunity to settle into a defined role after a whirlwind stretch of transactions. Minnesota remains responsible for his guaranteed $6.17 million salary for 2026-27, allowing the Knicks to add an experienced wing at a relatively low cost.
The 6-foot-5 frame would give Mike Brown a different asset, as he also shot 34.9% from three over his career. Clearly, the Knicks valued Konchar’s ability and now have 14 players on standard contracts, leaving roughly $3.2 million in cap space below the second apron.
By the time Konchar hit the free-agent market, he brought more than 360 NBA games of experience with him, making him one of the most seasoned players still available. His NBA journey began in Memphis, where he spent the first six seasons of his career before a midseason trade sent him to the Jazz.
So, when the Knicks selected him, they already had plans for the final roster spots.
“SNY sources: big man Drew Eubanks is signing with the Knicks on a camp deal and will be competing for a roster spot,” reported Ian Begley.
The 29-year-old adds further depth behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond. The 6-foot-10 center has appeared in 426 NBA games across eight seasons, with 86 starts. Eubanks was with Sacramento last season, and even though he started just 11 games, he played in 42 and averaged 5.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 13.1 minutes. More importantly, he shot 59.6% from the field.
While he gets a chance to compete for the roster spot, the Knicks also announced the waiver of six players: Jaden Akins, Nick Jourdain, Mitch Mascari, Toby Okani, Igor Milicic and Paul Zilinskas. Not just them, but even Miles McBride could be on his way out.
The 26-year-old is in his final year of a three-year, $13 million deal. ‘Deuce’ has outperformed his contract by a long mile. Yet, the contract talks have been on hold.
McBride did not sign an extension before the August 11 deadline, leaving him to play out the season on a $3.9 million expiring deal, though SNY’s Ian Begley has confirmed the Knicks and McBride’s representatives have remained in regular contact ahead of training camp.
McBride loves New York!
For New York, McBride has become much more than the team’s longest-tenured Knick. He loves the city, loves his teammates, and he has played an important role in the team’s rise. That makes the possibility of him entering this season with his contract situation still unresolved all the more unfortunate.
In fact, The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III reported earlier this month:
“Unless the two sides reach an agreement before the start of the season, it feels like we’re heading toward a departure just based on history.
“Leon Rose and the Knicks’ front-office brass usually trade players who they’re far apart in extension talks with — except for Robinson, who we established has a unique skill set that was important to the title run.”
That said, McBride’s expiring contract only adds to his value around the league.
If the Knicks were to put him on the trade market, he would likely draw significant interest from other teams, either during the season or waiting until the offseason.
But the signing of Konchar seemingly could mean that the Knicks have their role player, which keeps them under cap constraints. So, McBride’s tenure in New York could come to an end.