Knicks waive Bruce Brown as James Wiseman secures final roster spot

Bruce Brown was cut on Saturday, leaving James Wiseman as the likely 14th player on the Knicks' opening roster.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sun, 18 Oct 2026 05:14:54 GMT

The New York Knicks waived veteran guard Bruce Brown on Saturday, opening the final roster spot for center James Wiseman, according to reports from ESPN’s Shams Charania and the New York Post.

What happened

The Knicks, who must stay under the league’s second‑apron limit of 14 players, released Brown on Oct. 17, 2026. The move follows the earlier waivers of big men Drew Eubanks and Tony Bradley on Thursday, narrowing the competition for the reserve center role to Wiseman and the remaining veterans.

What the reports add

Bleacher Report noted that Wiseman, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft, is now positioned to earn a depth role behind Karl‑Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond. The outlet also cited SNY’s Ian Begley, who said there was “strong support” within the Knicks to keep both Brown and Wiseman, but a trade would have been required to retain Brown. The New York Post added that the Knicks had hoped to keep both players but could not find a trade to clear cap space, and that the final competition in training camp involved five veterans – Wiseman, Brown, Drew Eubanks, Tony Bradley and Ochai Agbaji – for the last spot.

What was said

Shams Charania told ESPN that the waiver of Bruce Brown cleared the way for Wiseman to claim the 14th roster slot. Stefan Bondy, reporting for the Post, said the Knicks “would have liked to keep both Wiseman and Brown, but that would have required a trade to clear up cap space.”

How it came about

The roster moves follow a series of Knicks roster decisions this month, including the pause on contract talks with Josh Hart and Karl‑Anthony Towns reported on Oct. 10. The team is also managing its preseason roster ahead of opening the season as defending champions against the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 22. Earlier in the preseason, Wiseman averaged 8.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game while shooting 81.3% from the field, according to Bleacher Report.

Key facts

Bruce Brown was waived by the New York Knicks on Oct. 17, 2026. (bleacherreport.com)
James Wiseman is now likely to fill the Knicks' 14th roster spot. (nypost.com)
The Knicks had to stay under the second‑apron limit of 14 players. (nypost.com)
Drew Eubanks and Tony Bradley were also waived earlier that week. (bleacherreport.com)

Timeline

2026-10-10 — Knicks pause contract talks with Josh Hart and Karl‑Anthony Towns.
2026-10-13 — Knicks play preseason game in Toronto; Bruce Brown appears.
2026-10-17 — Knicks waive Bruce Brown; James Wiseman positioned for final roster spot.