Veteran point guard Malcolm Brogdon signed a non-guaranteed one-year deal with the Knicks this summer — a training camp deal in name, but not in mindset. As far as Brogdon is concerned, he’ll be suiting up in orange and blue when the Knicks host the Cleveland Cavaliers on opening night.
“I come here with the expectation I’m going to make the team,” Brogdon said after practice Sunday in Tarrytown. “I feel what I bring to the table and have to offer, I can help this team. The decision is out of my control but I feel like I have what it takes to help this team.”
Now entering his 10th NBA season, Brogdon arrives in New York with a decorated résumé and a series of injury-riddled campaigns. The 2017 Rookie of the Year appeared in just 24 games for the Washington Wizards last season, 39 for the Portland Trail Blazers the year prior, and 36 for the Indiana Pacers in 2021-22. The path back to consistent health — and a consistent role — has been winding, but not without opportunity.
As an unrestricted free agent this summer, Brogdon said he had options. He chose the Knicks.
“The last two years I’ve been on rebuilding teams and that presents challenges for a vet,” Brogdon said. “Going into my 10th year, I wanted to be in a good organization that’s competing and trying to win a championship. I had that in Milwaukee, Boston, and here I think there’s a real shot.”
He fills a need, too. The Knicks’ lack of stability at reserve point guard was exposed during last year’s playoff run, where Indiana’s T.J. McConnell carved up New York’s second unit as Tyrese Haliburton’s backup. Cameron Payne held the role for much of the regular season, but was more stopgap than solution and found himself on the bench in the conference finals. Miles McBride flashed promise, but spent most of his time off the ball.
This season, Brogdon could change that.
“He’s been great,” head coach Mike Brown said. “He has a steadiness about him that is fantastic to be around, especially with us throwing a lot of stuff at the new group.”
Signing Brogdon, however, may come at a cost. The Knicks are also taking a hard look at Landry Shamet, who played a key role in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals comeback and was re-signed to a training camp deal. Adding both Brogdon and Shamet would push the Knicks beyond the NBA’s $207 million second apron — unless a young player is moved to make room.
That’s where the conversation gets murky. New York’s end-of-roster trio — second-year guard Tyler Kolek, 20-year-old French wing Pacome Dadiet, and emergency center Ariel Hukporti — represent promising depth for the future. But if the goal is a title now, there’s an argument to prioritize proven vets who can contribute in high-stakes minutes over prospects who may not yet be ready for the stage.
“[Malcolm is] someone who has been in the league for a while and makes other guys better,” said Josh Hart. “He doesn’t play sped up.”
Brogdon is a known quantity: a reliable ball-handler, a knockdown shooter when healthy and a former Sixth Man of the Year who fits seamlessly alongside stars. But nothing is guaranteed, especially his health. Most of the Knicks’ rotation is locked in — Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson remain the core. McBride, Jordan Clarkson, and Guerschon Yabusele are projected bench contributors.
Brown wants to play a “nine-and-a-half to ten man” rotation. Doing so comfortably would require either developing the young guys — or replacing them with vets.
The Knicks have time to decide. Opening night is still three weeks away. But Brogdon has already made his expectations clear. If his game can do the talking, the contract will come walking.
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Brunson isn’t chasing a number on a scale — but he does feel lighter, and that’s by design. After a deep postseason run, the All-Star point guard took more time off this summer than ever before in his career.
Then Brunson got back to work, and his body, he says, feels better for it.
“It’s all about adapting,” Brunson said. “It was important for me to be a little lighter, just throughout the course of the season. Not even being lighter, I’m not that much lighter, definitely more toned and like that, but it’s just important for me to get my body in the best shape possible I can and go from there.”
The priority is conditioning. Under new head coach Mike Brown, the Knicks are expected to play faster and freer — more pace, more spacing, more responsibility for guards to push tempo and create early advantages. Brunson, now in the prime of his career, is preparing accordingly.
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There’s another milestone on the horizon for Brunson — one with special meaning beyond the game.
His “Statue of Liberty” edition Kobe 6 sneakers are set to release during the holiday season, marking a career first for the Knicks guard: his own player edition of the iconic Nike silhouette.
“It means the world. It means the world to me to be able to wear [Kobe’s] shoe and have a little bit of input on it as well,” he said. “Really excited to have this opportunity. His family are amazing. Just really thankful. Yeah, we’ll see what comes out of that.”
Brunson has long cited Kobe Bryant as one of his greatest influences. Now, his name will be etched into the legacy of the shoe worn by the player he grew up idolizing.
