Bruce Brown is one of several veterans to sign a training camp deal with the New York Knicks, along with John Konchar, Drew Eubanks, James Wiseman, and Ochai Agbaji. They'll compete for a spot on the final roster, and the front office can make a trade to open up an additional spot while staying below the second tax apron. Brown already has a strong case to make it to the end of October.
He's coming off an 82-game season with the Nuggets, and while the Knicks wouldn't need him to be their bench version of Mikal Bridges by playing every regular-season game again in 2026-27, his durability can help New York in more ways than one.
The average age of the Knicks' starting five entering the new season is 30, with OG Anunoby (29) being the youngest. New York will have one of the league's older starting fives, so being able to turn to someone like Brown, also 30, can help the team manage the wear and tear of a grueling season after one that extended into mid-June.
Brown can be a reliable option for the Knicks
During the 2022-23 season, when Brown helped Denver win a championship, he played 80 games, his career high before last season. The following season, he played 67 combined games between the Pacers (33) and Raptors (34). In 2024-25, he played a career-low 41 games with Toronto (18) and New Orleans (23) because of injuries, but he bounced back and played double that this past season.
The Knicks would, of course, benefit if Brown can carry that trend into the upcoming season, if he earns a roster spot.
He could ease the load on the team's starting wings, especially Josh Hart, who famously doesn't put forth much effort in practice but goes a million miles an hour when he steps on the floor. He played 66 regular-season games this past season, the fewest since the Knicks traded for him.
The goal is for Hart (and the rest of the starters) to be in the best shape possible when the playoffs roll around and the intensity ramps up, and having Brown take on some of the dirty work during the regular season could pay off.
New York will probably experience some sort of championship hangover, though Oklahoma City avoided that last year because of its depth. The Thunder had (and still have) players who can step up and fill in gaps (Sam Presti can seemingly spawn players out of nowhere), and that's one of Brown's strengths as a glue guy. He can do a little of everything, a trait that can help the Knicks be better prepared for the slumps that are almost certainly coming their way.
It's a bonus that Brown has championship experience, knowing firsthand what it takes to make it from September, when training camp opens, through June. He wasn't around to contribute to what the Nuggets hoped would be a repeat season in 2023-24, as he signed with the Pacers a few weeks after Denver won its title. He can finally get his shot in New York, though.
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