What Knicks' Flurry of Wednesday Moves Means for Their Roster

Just when things started to settle down with the New York Knicks, they were back to making moves on the final day of the month. On Wednesday, New York did the following:

Waived John Konchar and N'Faly Dante
Signed Tony Bradley to an Exhibit 9 deal
Signed Toby Okani to an Exhibit 10 deal, then waived him
Signed Jaden Akins to a two-way deal

All of these transactions carry meaning for the organization, including some that are bigger than others. Let's break down what each move means for the Knicks.

Knicks waive John Konchar, N'Faly Dante

Konchar's departure certainly eases up some of the pressure on New York's incumbent wings. His skills overlapped with Jordan Clarkson's, the latter of whom is easy for the Knicks to trade this season if they feel they've found an upgrade. This also removes a potential threat for Mohamed Diawara taking a bigger step forward in the rotation. Konchar could've at least kept Landry Shamet on his toes, too.

In addition, Konchar's release could make things easier for fellow tryout wings Bruce Brown Jr. and Ochai Agbaji to make the team, given there are now fewer of them competing at the position. However, the Knicks also quickly filled the spot Konchar leaves behind with another center in Bradley, so it's not as if there are fewer players overall in this camp battle.

It's disappointing to see Konchar let go, but according to SNY's Ian Begley, the veteran wing has been dealing with a personal matter, which has caused him to be absent from the team's recent workouts.

Meanwhile, Dante was signed a few days ago to an Exhibit 10 deal, and his release sets him up to join New York's G League affiliate, since a key element of E10 contracts center around securing G League rights. He is a very intriguing big man for the Knicks to get a closer look at and possibly develop, though he is rehabbing from a torn ACL, so he's more of a long-term project than any immediate center boost.

Knicks bring in Tony Bradley as center camp tryout

Bradley now joins a tryout center mix that also features Drew Eubanks and James Wiseman. Realistically speaking, Eubanks and Wiseman likely have better odds of making the roster than Bradley does.

Eubanks presents a proven and capable third-string big man for New York with an eight-year track record working in his favor. Though he's not an explosive talent, he's more than suitable to fill a couple of needed minutes behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond.

Then there's Wiseman, who's more of an upside play than a steady contributor. But the possible payoff to Wiseman's potential is worth at least giving him a chance. He's got youth (25) and draft pedigree (former No. 2 overall pick) on his side, plus the ability to be a longer-term piece for the Knicks if he works out.

Bradley doesn't have the steady production or apparent upside to match Eubanks or Wiseman. The best showing of his career, when he averaged 7.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, was six seasons ago. Since then, his numbers have decreased, or he's made a handful of NBA appearances.

On the bright side, Bradley is another hungry big man with low stocks to at least throw into this battle and see what happens. He could even be a pleasant surprise if the championship environment or his underdog status pushes him to outperform the other centers.

Knicks sign-and-waive Toby Okani

Much like with Dante, signing and waving Okani puts him on the path to joining the Knicks' G League team.

But notably, this is a return for Okani, who played for New York's G League team last season and its Summer League squad this year in Vegas. This paints a pretty clear picture that the organization quite likes the 6-foot-8 wing.

Okani even played six games for the Memphis Grizzlies at the NBA level this past season, averaging a healthy 10.0 ppg and 3.5 rpg, which is promising. The fact that the Knicks were able to sneak him onto their G League team should be considered a win.

Knicks add Jaden Akins on two-way

Last but certainly not least, signing Akins to a two-way deal is significant for New York, as it fills the final open spot the Knicks had for this kind of contract. Now, Akins joins rookie Tyler Nickel and the returning Kevin McCullar Jr. as the contributors New York can shuttle between the G League and the NBA.

Akins showed off his microwave abilities in the G League and during Summer League for the Knicks, so it's no surprise they're giving him a longer runway to impress them this season. With Miles McBride being a trade candidate, Akins is someone who could in theory be given a closer look if he plays well.

That said, two-way contracts are incredibly easy to get off of, so the two-way situation should not be considered settled. Just last season, New York released Tosan Evbuomwan from his two-way deal and brought in Dillon Jones to replace him around the midseason point. Considering the Knicks still need center help, they could cut Akins or McCullar to clear room for a big they like at any time.

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