The New York Knicks signed Malcolm Brogdon on Friday. He joins the team on a non-guaranteed deal. His acquisition comes on the heels of re-signing another veteran guard, Landry Shamet. However, they only have room under the second apron for one of them.
According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, people around the league are expecting the Knicks to make a subsequent move. That comes as no surprise. Going over the second apron for Brogdon and Shamet is unlikely and ill-advised.
Bondy reports that New York's goal is to keep Brogdon and one of Shamet or Garrison Mathews, whom they signed to a training camp deal. Boston Celtics fans might remember the latter from his training camp stint with the team in 2021. Ultimately, its final roster spot went to Jabari Parker that year.
The Knicks' most likely odd man out
While the Celtics' rivals were able to upset them in the playoffs this year, the postseason also highlighted the need for them to shore up their guard depth.
Shamet was a positive contributor when called upon after Tom Thibodeau finally extended his rotation vs. the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Brogdon is coming off a campaign where he averaged 12.7 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 23.5 minutes of playing time for the Washington Wizards. He remains productive when in the lineup.
The problem with the latter is that he has struggled to prove durable throughout his career. The former Sixth Man of the Year in his lone season in Boston suited up in 24 games in 2024-25 and 39 the year before. The only time he appeared in more than 67 contests was in his rookie campaign with the Milwaukee Bucks.
New York will want to keep Brogdon and Shamet. Moving on from Mathews is unlikely to prove a stressful decision. Perhaps he even sticks around on a two-way deal. The Knicks have all three of those spots open. Joining their G League affiliate is another possibility.
But when it comes to parting with someone to make room on their roster for Brogdon and Shamet as opposed to choosing between the two, the person who makes the most sense to this author is Ariel Hukporti.
Perhaps the second-year, six-foot-11 center stays, and someone higher up on the depth chart gets dealt. However, it's much more difficult to pinpoint who that would be. The most likely name in that scenario is Mitchell Robinson. But he's coming off a productive playoff run.
Robinson could get dealt at some point because he carries on-court value and an expiring contract. Hukporti is a restricted free agent next summer. He appeared in 25 games as a rookie. While he's talented, a veteran team contending for a championship is less likely to choose him over more well-established options.
The Celtics could view this as an opportunity to acquire a young center at a low cost, adding to a position that enters the season with far more questions than answers. However, they likely want to preserve their draft capital for more substantial future moves, whether that's trading for a player they're more bullish about or attaching it to a contract they want to move.