The New York Knicks still have work to do before opening their NBA championship defense, with 13 players on guaranteed contracts and a particular need for additional depth behind their established centers.
On Thursday, SNY’s Ian Begley reported that veterans Drew Eubanks and John Konchar are among the free agents on New York’s radar as training camp approaches.
“Per SNY sources, guard-forward John Konchar and forward-center Drew Eubanks are among the players on New York’s radar as we draw closer to training camp,” Begley reported. “Konchar, recently waived and stretched after a trade to Minnesota, is known as a strong rebounder/defender/offensive connector who can knock down perimeter shots over his seven-year NBA career.
“Eubanks’ 2025-26 season in Sacramento was cut short in March following surgery to repair a UCL tear in his left thumb. The 6-foot-10 veteran would presumably be competing with a couple of other big men for the Knicks’ third center spot.”
Eubanks would obviously address the more obvious positional need, as New York currently has Karl-Anthony Towns as its starting center and uber-veteran Andre Drummond as the lone backup, following the exits of Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti.
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The 29-year-old spent last season with the Sacramento Kings, averaging 5.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 13.1 minutes per game, but injuries limited him to just 42 appearances.
As expected, Begley suggested that Eubanks’ deal, if signed, would likely be non-guaranteed and that the veteran would face competition for the third-center position, à la Brogdon-Mathews-Shamet last summer.
Konchar, meanwhile, would offer the Knicks a much-different option for one of their two final spots. The 30-year-old guard-forward became available after Minnesota waived him after trading for him last week.
Konchar averaged 4.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 steals across 56 games with Memphis and the Jazz last season.
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Still, don’t trip. The Knicks have two standard roster openings, yes, but the Knicks are also expected to begin the season with only 14 players because of 1) their proximity to the second tax apron and 2) youknowwho. Hooray!
Anyway, New York has more than a month remaining before beginning its championship defense, with Begley reporting that its final roster decisions are still being evaluated and most likely down to the wire once training camp and preseason are completed, and the Knicks know everything they know about their prospective candidates.
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