The New York Knicks were having a hard time figuring out what to do with their final roster spots. The team faced an uphill battle to keep both NBA champions who had received training camp invitations.
James Wiseman was the favorite due to the organization's needs. Still, many wanted the team to make a trade so it could keep Bruce Brown.
“New York needs a third center and will likely use the 14th roster spot to address it. James Wiseman has been the first big man on a training-camp deal who Brown has tapped to check into games, with Drew Eubanks and Tony Bradley falling behind. The Knicks should strongly consider adding Bruce Brown to the main roster given his championship experience and positional versatility, but all signs point to the team keeping a center right now," The Athletic’s James Edwards III wrote.
New York ultimately decided to part ways with Brown over the weekend.
“The Knicks announce that they have waived veteran Bruce Brown. James Wiseman makes NY's opening night roster, as Brown may fill the 15th spot later in December when contracts are prorated," NBA insider Brett Siegel posted.
It was a difficult decision for the Knicks, especially since they had tried to find a trade that would allow them to keep the NBA champion. Knicks head coach Mike Brown revealed why the team chose Wiseman over Brown.
“We have a system to where we play out of concepts, and Bruce is good enough to initiate the offense, or he’s good enough to be off-the-ball. So he fits in with what with how we want to play on both ends, while giving us versatility on both ends. But when you have a guy that’s 25 years old, that has the length and the athleticism and the talent as a James Wiseman, because KAT’s not athletic like that and Andre was once that, he still has some of it, but to have that at 25 years old, especially with where we’re at as a group, you look for guys that coulda shoulda, but at his age maybe he still can be a coulda shoulda. That vertical threat at the rim, the vertical threat defensively, how good he runs, you welcome that at his size and age and athleticism,” Brown said.
Brown believed the veteran guard fit the team's system in several ways, but the Knicks needed Wiseman's size a little more at this point. It also helps that Mike Brown and Wiseman already had a player-coach relationship from their time with Golden State.
Heading into training camp, it was clear that New York wanted to add a center. Brown did everything he could to make the roster, but keeping him was not in the team's best interests at the time. Mike Brown, however, did not rule out the possibility of Bruce Brown eventually rejoining the team.
