The New York Knicks have finalized their 14-man roster for the upcoming NBA season by waiving veteran guard Bruce Brown, securing center James Wiseman as the team’s final player. The decision, announced Saturday, concludes a training camp and preseason competition for the last roster spot among five veterans: Wiseman, Brown, Drew Eubanks, Tony Bradley, and Ochai Agbaji.
The Knicks faced a hard cap under the NBA’s second apron, which restricts roster size and spending, forcing them to keep only 14 players. While the team would have preferred to retain both Wiseman and Brown, doing so would have required executing a trade to create sufficient salary cap space—a deal that has yet to materialize.
The competition ultimately came down to Wiseman and Brown, with Wiseman’s position as a center giving him an advantage over Brown, who primarily plays as a wing. The Knicks aimed to maintain depth at the center position behind starters Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond. Wiseman will fill the role once held by Ariel Hukporti, the third-string center who signed with the Philadelphia 76ers but is sidelined for the season due to a preseason Achilles injury.
Originally the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Wiseman has faced setbacks during the past two years, appearing in just five games after suffering a torn Achilles early in the 2024 season. He has also had short spells with the Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons, and Indiana Pacers. Despite these challenges, Knicks head coach Mike Brown—who previously coached Wiseman as a Warriors assistant—expressed optimism about his potential. “He’s young, he’s talented, he’s raw,” Brown said. “He’s still trying to establish a foothold in this league. But with the God-given attributes he has... that can bode well for him on both ends of the floor.”
Bruce Brown, a reliable bench contributor, has become a casualty of the NBA’s apron system, which limits spending for teams keen on maintaining competitive payrolls. The Knicks’ starting lineup commands significant salaries, leaving little financial flexibility to retain seasoned players like Brown without trimming elsewhere. Brown himself expressed surprise at the limited interest he received in free agency despite playing every game and contributing meaningful minutes last season.
The Knicks remain interested in Brown and could potentially bring him back if a trade frees up the necessary salary cap space. Potential trade candidates include Pacôme Dadiet and Tyler Kolek, although moving these players may require giving up draft assets, and both carry limited trade value. For now, Bruce Brown is free to explore opportunities elsewhere as New York moves forward with Wiseman occupying the roster spot.