As things stand, the New York Knicks probably can't keep James Wiseman and Bruce Brown. The organization has two open roster spots, but only one it can afford while staying under the second apron.
Since they're thin at center, Wiseman is the likely candidate to stick around if it comes down to just one. There aren't any bigs on the roster behind both Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond. Keeping Wiseman is smart business, given the need.
The Knicks have a chance to keep both Wiseman and Brown, though, with a little roster maneuvering. And the benefits to also bringing Brown aboard are clear.
Knicks have trade candidates to clear a roster spot for Bruce Brown
Brown's postseason pedigree and availability could be huge for the Knicks—especially early on in the season. The issue of how to clear room for Brown needs to be solved fast, however, since the deadline to finalize rosters in Monday at 5 p.m. ET.
One way to keep both Brown and Wiseman is to clear a spot via trade. Tyler Kolek is one name that is being thrown around the rumor mill.
Retaining Jose Alvarado pushed Kolek further down the depth chart, and since his playing time could be sparse, another team could find more value in the third-year guard with a club option for next year. The same goes for Pacome Dadiet, who has a similar option and has performed poorly this preseason.
The Knicks could also deal Miles McBride. His status has been part of the conversation around the Knicks all offseason.
It doesn't seem like they plan to retain him after this season, but a bench with McBride, Brown and Wiseman probably gives them their best shot at winning. Sure, they'll lose out on squeezing any trade turn value on a player who is gone after the season, but they're effectively lowering their odds of repeating by dealing the sharpshooter McBride, who shot 41.3% from three last season.
This could leave New York deciding between Kolek and Dadiet. The former has more value, and thus might be the better trade candidate, just since it'll be difficult to find takers for Dadiet after years of lackluster results. But, both players are expendable, and Brown offers more at the moment that could be of use to the defending champs.
What Brown could bring to the table this season
Wiseman obviously makes the most sense if they can't find a trade partner, since the Knicks need center depth. Although, Brown brings championship pedigree, and a team like the Knicks, hoping to repeat, could use someone like him.
During the 2023 postseason when the Denver Nuggets won their first championship, Brown was a key piece of their title run. He averaged 26.6 minutes, with 12 points, four rebounds, two assists per game while shooting 51.1% from the field. B
rown also had more points coming off the bench than any other player that postseason, with 240.
With the Knicks coming off of back-to-back deep playoff runs, coach Mike Brown might not push his guys too hard. Another valuable thing about Brown is his availability.
After returning to Denver after bouncing around the league following their title win, Brown played in 82 games last season. It's clear he is well equipped to handle a demanding workload, which could work in Coach Brown's favor if he doesn't want his rotation accumulating big minutes at first. In 2025/2026, Bruce Brown averaged 24.4 minutes, 7.9 ppg, 3.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and shot 47.5% from the field.
Plus, it does seem like Coach Brown is a fan of the veteran guard. He said as much this week.
Mike Brown on what he's liked from Bruce Brown so far in camp: "It's great that you're able to get vets like him into camp because you get to know them, just as much as their game. He's been doing a nice job. He was with the group a few nights ago ... those guys made a couple of…
— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) October 10, 2026
Getting the most out of this roster
The clock isn't just ticking for the Knicks to figure out this roster crunch if they want to keep both Brown and Wiseman. It's also ticking on how many chances they'll get to repeat.
As things stand, the Knicks are the third oldest team in the league. They'll eventually have to pay Jalen Brunson again, and on top of that, they are still contemplating extensions with Josh Hart and KAT.
Dealing Kolek elsewhere and keeping the 30-year-old Brown on the roster doesn't make them any younger, but with his experience in the league—having already spent some time in this market, too, after a stint with the Brooklyn Nets—and postseason resume, he is yet another weapon off the bench for Coach Brown.
Plus, the Knicks are probably more likely to trust Brown to get important playoff minutes than Kolek or even Dadiet at this point, so the swap makes a ton of sense for this season's mission.
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