Bruce Brown continues to fight and make a strong case to crack Knicks roster this preseason

Bruce Brown had a solid season last year in Denver. He averaged eight points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal in 24 minutes per game. He played all 82 games for the Nuggets and was a fixture of their rotation. 

He’s just 30 years old. Under previous collective bargaining agreements, a player of Brown’s archetype would get guaranteed money and probably a guaranteed spot in someone’s rotation.

But in the second apron era of today’s NBA, players of Brown’s ilk aren’t getting those opportunities.  

That’s why the nine-year vet agreed to a non-guaranteed training camp deal with the Knicks. 

“I played every single game last year. I thought I played well enough to have a guaranteed spot on a team. That wasn’t the case, so now it’s time to just fight and get a job,” Brown said after a solid showing in New York’s preseason loss to Washington. 

“Hopefully play well in the preseason. Whatever you do on this stage, even if it doesn’t work out, just giving yourself an opportunity to showcase yourself to teams.”

Entering training camp, the Knicks signed a group of veteran centers and veteran wings to compete for roster spots. New York will not go into the second apron this season. So the club only has enough salary for one veteran. The Knicks would need to trade a player on an NBA deal if they wanted to keep both a wing and a center on their roster. 

New York doesn’t have a third center on a guaranteed deal. So it makes sense for the Knicks to keep a big man – whether it’s James Wiseman, Drew Eubanks or Tony Bradley. 

Brown, though, is putting together a strong case for a roster spot in New York. 

“Everything I’ve seen from (Brown from) afar and as a competitor, I’ve seen within these couple weeks here,” Jalen Brunson said after the Washington game. “He brings a lot to the table. Just him being in the league for a long time gives him an advantage mentally. Physically, I think the things that he can do for us can be very helpful.”

At the moment, no NBA team has surpassed the second apron in team salary. It is not a hard cap, so teams are voluntarily staying below the apron. But they lose several roster-building tools if they exceed the second apron. (ESPN’s Bobby Marks explains those restrictions here)

Brown is one of dozens of veterans getting squeezed by the apron rules. According to spotrac.com, the Nuggets are the only team with a salary above the second apron. And they will presumably make some moves to duck below the apron before the end of the NBA calendar year. 

“The new CBA is good for certain players, right? Max guys, top free agents and maybe rookie extension guys,” Brown said. “But other than that, like the middle guys, it kind of sucks for us. As you see, there’s not that many people getting that full midlevel (exception) anymore – or even the tax midlevel (exception). It’s tough, but that’s just the way it is right now. So each time you’re out there, you’ve just to play your best and hope for the best.”

IT WAS ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS

Hours before tipoff of the Knicks’ Game 5 win in San Antonio, a Jalen Brunson tweet from exactly 11 years prior resurfaced on Twitter. 

“One win away”

The Knicks would go on to win Game 5 and the NBA title on June 13, 2026. Eleven years to the day since Brunson’s tweet. 

No, Brunson wasn’t predicting an NBA Finals win that night. He said the tweet was a reference to the Chicago Blackhawks, who were one win away from winning the Stanley Cup. 

For Knicks fans who saw the tweet on the day of Game 5 in June, it probably felt like fate. 

It turned out to be one more remarkable element of the Knicks’ title run.